Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on November 16, 2011 by Shibley
Over the past weeks, I have used afternoon seder to study the laws of aveilut (mourning). As with many areas of halakha, there are numerous details and caveats. I have found myself troubled by the seemingly impersonal details of the halacha, which is brings me to Chayei Sarah, our parasha this week. Sarah dies in Continue Reading »
Posted on September 14, 2011 by Andrea Wiese
Erev seders are not what some one might think a seder would be, and erev means night. So at first I thought it meant that we would be having seders once a week at night to learn how to set up and lead our own seders. Well, I was sadly surprised to learn that this Continue Reading »
Posted on September 13, 2011 by Derek Kwait
(Cross-posted from my blog for “The Jewish Chronicle of Pittsburgh”, Yinzer in Yerushalayim.) I am writing this now on a mirpeset* (even people who don’t speak Hebrew call them mirpesets here, and it’s already become such second-nature for me that I can’t go back) with a sweeping view of Jerusalem at night, including the lit-up Continue Reading »
Posted on January 24, 2011 by Joel D.
Posted on January 5, 2011 by Shibley
Last week I had the opportunity to visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Museum with fellow Pardes students. I had never been to Yad Vashem at night before, but I was surprised to find that the lack of natural light emphasized the murder of the Shoah. As I worked my way through the permanent exhibit, I Continue Reading »
Posted on October 28, 2010 by Shibley
Sunday, chazara. Monday, night seder with R. Levi Cooper. Tuesday, issur v’heter. Wednesday, Kiddushin chevruta. Thursday, Brachot chevruta. If it hadn’t been for the title, you might have thought that the aforementioned days and subjects were merely highlights in a day packed with Torah learning. And if you had thought that, you would have been Continue Reading »
Posted on February 25, 2010 by Lauren
The Learnathon for Haiti was last night, and it was a rousing success. Some of Pardes’ best teachers taught amazing shiurim looking at many of the most challenging issues surrounding social justice and tzedakah, particularly in regards to imperatives for giving tzedakah to non-Jews and how we balance our finite resources. The Beit Midrash is Continue Reading »
Posted on November 1, 2009 by David Bogomolny
Some weeks ago, I bought myself a pair of house slippers because my roommate & I had agreed not to wear shoes inside our apartment. My decision was mostly based upon my preference for wearing shoes while davening (praying) at home (traditional Jewish law requires footwear during prayer), but I also thought it would be Continue Reading »
