Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on May 15, 2013 by Avi Spodek
The incidents at the Kotel these past few months have dominated the atmosphere where I study. There is an overwhelming sense of support for the Women of the Wall and their efforts to be recognized as legitimate players in the Jewish-religious narrative. Many of my friends have donned their Talitot and Tefilin (some for the Continue Reading »
Posted on May 14, 2013 by Jeff Amshalem
From my blog: Two brief teachings by R. Kalonymus Kalman HaLevi Epstein on Shavuot, excerpted from Maor vaShamesh ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר And Israel camped there under the mountain. Exodus 19:2 Rashi points out that ‘camped’ is in the singular, and explains they camped there ‘as one person with one heart.’ To receive the Continue Reading »
Posted on May 12, 2013 by Andrea Wiese
From my blog: Friday morning was a blur. A scary blur. I didn’t wake up until 6:24 AM when my roommate screamed, “WIESE.” And I jumped out of bed, how could this happen, on a day that was so important to me? Never mind…we jumped in a taxi and I ran down to the women’s Continue Reading »
Posted on May 9, 2013 by Hannah Perlis
פרשת במדבר Parshat Bimidbar Imagine that you are applying for a promotion at work and your dear friend gets that promotion instead of you even though you’ve worked really hard. Do you support that friend, or do you become resentful, and secretly a little jealous? In this week’s Parsha, Bimidbar, after a lengthy census, the Continue Reading »
Posted on May 7, 2013 by Avigayle Adler
In the Gemara, Shabbat is defined by the work that surrounds it and goes into preparing for it. We light the Sabbath candles to mark the beginning of Shabbat and light the Havdallah candle to mark its conclusion. Shabbat, therefore is book-ended, suspended in time between these two rituals of light. Interestingly enough, lighting a Continue Reading »
Posted on May 6, 2013 by Avigayle Adler
Grapes, Pomegranates, Olives, Dates, Figs, Wheat and Barley have a special significance to the Land of Israel and are given special mention and priority on Tubishevat, the Jewish New Year for trees. Indeed they have priority when blessing food as well. I have always been enchanted with
Posted on May 2, 2013 by Annie Matan Gilbert
Wednesday morning, at our weekly Creative Shacharit, I led a Kohenet style davenning. This means that the liturgy of the service follows the arc of a traditional shacharit service but is often not traditional liturgy. This particular service is compiled from chants and prayers from the Kohenet siddur and from my own writing and repertoire. Continue Reading »
Posted on May 2, 2013 by Laura Marder
What if What if we were all self absorbed and never helped one another? Could you imagine never grasping a hand if you stumbled, or borrowing a bit of money in a pinch. What would our world look like if we never supported each other? Emotionally. Financially. Physically. Spiritually. Would you ever feel empowered or Continue Reading »
Posted on April 29, 2013 by Stu Jacobs
Yesterday was a special day at Pardes. Not because Meir was roaming the halls with a mass of students, singing at the top of his lungs, although that was part of it. Not because there was dancing in the beit midrash, although that was part of it as well. The occurrences above, while special, have Continue Reading »
Posted on April 28, 2013 by Ilan Weismark
From my blog: Should our students be allowed to study Torah on an iPad? Does it change the Kedusha of the text? For thousands of years Jewish tradition was rooted in the oral passing of history. In the first and second century when Yehuda HaNassi compiled the Mishna, he changed the future of Jewish education. Continue Reading »
