Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on October 15, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen
Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah. א וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה, אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים–אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: לִפְנֵי, מוֹתוֹ ב וַיֹּאמַר, יְהוָה מִסִּינַי בָּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ–הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן, וְאָתָה מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ; מִימִינוֹ, אשדת (אֵשׁ דָּת) לָמוֹ “This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, Continue Reading »
Posted on September 22, 2014 by Sarah Marx
In the last week, hovering on the edge of Rosh Hashanah, I’ve heard and sung songs that shook me to my core. In the coming weeks, I’ll be faced with many more – liturgy for the High Holidays, its passion and fear barely contained by the melodies’ majesty, or zemirot sung around the Shabbat table. Continue Reading »
Posted on September 17, 2014 by David Wallach
This Shabbat in synagogue (or at the shabbaton, woot!), we will read the joint parshiot of Nitzavim and Va’Yelech. The Jewish calender has it that Parshat Nitzavim always falls out before Rosh Hashana. A coincidence like this causes us, the readers of the Torah, to ask, “so nu? What’s the connection? Why must this parsha always fall out before Continue Reading »
Posted on February 17, 2014 by Max Einsohn
Have you ever wondered what Moses would have said to Pharaoh, as he led the Israelite people out of Egypt? Last week, in our Chumash class, our teacher Rabbi Levi Cooper challenged us to reflect in writing on some of the “big picture” questions that arise from our Exodus story. During class, a few of Continue Reading »
Posted on December 27, 2013 by Carolyn Gerecht
As Parshat Shemot closes, it’s not looking good for the Israelites. Petitioned by Aharon and Moshe, Pharaoh not only refuses their (botched) request to free the Israelites from slavery – he also adds to their misery by demanding that they now gather the straw that they need themselves while still maintaining the same pace (Shemot Continue Reading »
Posted on July 28, 2013 by Eli Steier
Perfect standards for Perfect people Do not take us out of the wilderness And our people have known wilderness All too well Perfect standards for Imperfect people Are just enough to Take us Home
Posted on July 12, 2013 by Andrea Wiese
I wrote this dvar Torah after a four-day desert adventure with NFTY: This week we start reading the book of Devarim / Deuteronomy. Devarim takes place right before the Israelites are going to enter the land that God gave them. And Moshe is reminding the Jewish people of the laws that God gave to the Continue Reading »
Posted on May 27, 2013 by Tadea Klein
My dvar Torah from the Galil Shabbaton: First of all, I would like to thank Adam Masser (Spring ’12, Year ’13), who gave me the perfect set up — and we didn’t even plan it. I also am going to talk about lashon ha-rah, specifically the consequences of it. I believe that the most telling Continue Reading »
Posted on May 26, 2013 by Sydni Adler
My dvar Torah from the Galil Shabbaton: On Shavuot, Rabbi Ruth Gan Kagan spoke about the prophetic power of G-d’s ruach – G-d’s spirit, breath, or wind. Throughout Tanakh, whenever ruach appears, G-d pervades material being, and often, individual human beings. In both the Torah and Haftarah portions of Be’haalotecha, we deal directly with ruach Continue Reading »
Posted on May 26, 2013 by Hannah Perlis
My dvar Torah from the Galil Shabbaton: Imagine hypothetically waking up late because you snoozed your alarm too much. Then, you go to put your ethnically thick, but luscious, hair into a ponytail and you snap yet another hair tie. Then, you slip on your size 6 pink flip flops to run to school and Continue Reading »
