Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on February 21, 2011 by Zach
About a month ago, we began our second semester at Pardes, giving us the chance to switch up our class schedules. I had been studying Tanakh (in the Intensive Tanakh Track), and enjoying it, but I didn’t find the Tanakh course offerings for the new semester very interesting. Instead, I decided to take advantage of the Continue Reading »
Posted on February 18, 2011 by David Bogomolny
Natalie (above, right) and her sister Sharyn (above, left) from Melbourne, Australia arrived at Pardes in September, knowing they would only be able to join us for one semester. Natalie (Nat) informed These&Those that the Australian summer holiday is in December and January, and the academic year runs from February through November. This explains her plans to return home next week to continue her professional studies. Continue Reading »
Posted on January 18, 2011 by David Bogomolny
Ronit Rapoport (Fall ’10) first found herself at Pardes when she was sixteen years old; she was living in Jerusalem while her parents were studying in the Pardes Summer Program (Summer ’06). Two years later, Ronit returned to Pardes while visiting her sister Sophie who was studying in the Pardes Educators Program (Educators ’09). In 2008 she began college at Continue Reading »
Posted on January 2, 2011 by David Bogomolny
Sam had so much to share with his parents last summer, and it was his father’s first time in Israel! He felt steeped in Israeli culture; and his thinking about Jewish and Israel education had evolved after his Mechina (preparatory) year for the Pardes Educators Program (PEP). He wanted to share not only the religious and historical aspects of Israel, Continue Reading »
Posted on December 23, 2010 by Barer
I have spent my entire life living in the world of formal educational environments. I have learned a lot while doing so, and am immensely comfortable in such a setting. Since high school especially, much of the learning I have been exposed to – Philosophy in undergrad and Pardes – has had a lot to Continue Reading »
Posted on December 22, 2010 by David Bogomolny
“I’m spending this year in Jerusalem, learning how the Rabbis of the 1st and 2nd centuries endeavored to build a just society, and how Jewish tradition has built on their vision.” After graduating from Brandeis University, Julie entered into the field of interfaith organizing through the Jewish Organizing Initiative Fellowship Program. Her many conversations with young Continue Reading »
Posted on December 3, 2010 by Pious Antic
This is a cross-post from my personal blog. This week in my Talmud class, as we approach the close of Chapter Four of Tractate Sanhedrin, we were looking at the talmud’s discussion of the warning given to witnesses in dinei nefashot, or capital cases. Among other injunctions, the mishnah states that witnesses are warned not Continue Reading »
Posted on November 25, 2010 by David Bogomolny
Although they both hail from Los Angeles, Kara and David only met in college at UC Santa Barbara. As a child, Kara attended Christian Science church every week with her mother, but she became skeptical about religion as a teenager, and came to identify herself as culturally Jewish. David was raised in the Conservative Jewish movement, Continue Reading »
Posted on November 22, 2010 by David Bogomolny
R. Baruch Feldstern showed us this video during Chumash class, saying that these little bears could be representatives of Rashi and Rashbam 🙂
Posted on November 21, 2010 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, Today, I am inspired to write by two of my dear friends and beloved chevrutot (learning partners): Merissa Nathan Gerson and Dana Adler. Thank you Merissa and Dana! Last week’s parsha, Vayishlach, is filled with a lot of difficult questions and interactions. To name a few: Yaakov wrestles with an angel and is Continue Reading »
