Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on September 10, 2014 by Samantha Vinokor
Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement…get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible. – Abraham Joshua Heschel When Heschel described radical amazement, he could easily have been speaking about the initial euphoria that people experience Continue Reading »
Posted on September 7, 2014 by Ariella Siegel
From my blog: September already! Time flies when you’re being Jewy, I suppose. What a whirlwind! And I’m exhausted! Last we left off, it was orientation and more orientation and lots more orientation and then shabbat. The contrast between doing, doing, doing and then not doing at all (except actually doing, because Shabbos is a Continue Reading »
Posted on August 9, 2014 by Laura Marder
From my blog: Emotions are high as I walk the streets of Brooklyn and even venture into the big city. I just keep walking. Trying to get my mind to catch up with my physical being. I am no longer wandering the streets of Jerusalem. These are not the same people, not the same corner Continue Reading »
Posted on June 12, 2014 by Carolyn Gerecht
My dvar Torah from PCJE graduation: To commemorate the last day of our Gemara class this year with Rahel, we looked together at a special passage from Masechet Avoda Zara, Daf Yud Tet, Amud Alef. In the passage, Levi and Rabbi Shimon are studying together with Rah-bee. When they finish the text, Levi demands that Continue Reading »
Posted on June 11, 2014 by Cara Abrams-Simonton
My PCJE graduation speech: Good evening. It is an honor to stand before you today as I graduate from the Pardes Educators Program. Over the past two years I have been privileged to study in this very Beit Midrash and in the classrooms of Pardes. In this room I have fallen in love with text Continue Reading »
Posted on June 10, 2014 by Tani Cohen-Fraade
My PCJE graduation speech: I would like to speak for a few minutes about the Bet Midrash here at Pardes, the room in which we are now gathered. Over at least the last two years, we have spent countless hours every week studying texts and discussing them with our hevrutot and teachers. For many of Continue Reading »
Posted on June 9, 2014 by Heather Kantrowitz
My PCJE graduation speech: Chazak V’Ematz – Be strong and resolute. These are the words that Yehoshua spoke to Bnei Yisrael upon entering the land of Israel thousands of years ago. Today, I speak these words to my friends and peers as we prepare to enter new territory – the land of teaching. This fall, Continue Reading »
Posted on June 8, 2014 by Andrea Wiese
My PCJE graduation speech: My dvar Torah is based on “threes”…for example, As the third speaker, I have 3 minutes to sum up my three years at Pardes. So let’s not waste any time. Four years ago when I came to Pardes for the first time, I sat in on Tovah Leah’s Personalizing Prayer class. Continue Reading »
Posted on June 6, 2014 by AdAm Mayer
My PCJE graduation speech: Thank you to all of my most amazing and wonderful peers and colleagues. You all have inspired me and taught me so much! Thank you to Judy, Gail, and all the incredible and supportive faculty, mentors and teachers at Pardes! You are true enablers! And Thank you to my wife Chana Continue Reading »
Posted on June 5, 2014 by Laura Marder
My PCJE graduation speech: How do you take a moment to realize that you “made it” and include others with you in your joy? When I first arrived here at Pardes to embark on this journey I was terrified. Completely unsure if I would make it to the other side. Then something switched inside of Continue Reading »