Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on January 14, 2016 by Yosef Lopez
Today we spent much time remembering what was. We made our way to Gallipoli which is on the Gelibolu Peninsula. Our first stop was a synagogue in ruin. A rotting wooden frame was revealed as the remaining skeleton of the kahal, scattered bricks, and over grown weeds and grass surrounded the ruins, and in what Continue Reading »
Posted on January 14, 2016 by Binyamin Cohen
We got off our minibus at the top of the ridge, sparse trees all around us. We began to follow the road up to the peak, and as we do we begin to see signs of the reason we’re here: trenches, tunnels, foxholes. Gallipoli became much more real at the top of the hill: from Continue Reading »
Posted on January 13, 2016 by Andrew Ash
Today was the first day of our 2016 Pardes trip to Turkey. It was not an uneventful day. With sadness and anger did I receive the news that a suicide bomber attacked the heart of Istanbul’s historic center, a square adjoining the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia. These monuments have stood for generations and will Continue Reading »
Posted on March 31, 2015 by Louise Szczerb
For most young and involved Jews growing up in Israel, Europe or North America a trip to Poland is a formative part of their Jewish journey. In Israel they call it a ‘Tiyul Shorashim’, a trip designed to help you discover your roots. Although many of my mother’s mother’s family were part of the 98% Continue Reading »
Posted on March 31, 2015 by Bonnie Houghton
Pardes in Turkey, March 29th Sunday – With a warm gray sky contrasting the green rolling hills of Istanbul, this morning we headed bleary-eyed and smiling into our final day of this amazing experience. Having said or written tearful goodbyes to our home stay hosts, we returned to our home synagogue of Etz Ahayim to Continue Reading »
Posted on March 30, 2015 by Ariela Haim
Today was our 5th day in Istanbul with the warm and welcoming Turkish Jewish community. For the majority of us, it was our first Shabbat in Istanbul and a rather interesting experience considering that the majority of us were also not familiar with Sephardi prayer services and keeping Shabbat without an eruv. But despite these Continue Reading »
Posted on March 30, 2015 by Myra Meskin
After spending a few days getting to know the Jewish community here in Istanbul, we went today to the Jewish old age home, to hear their stories and to sing with them. Although we met one resident who spoke wonderful English and who told us about her studies in America and her time as a Continue Reading »
Posted on March 27, 2015 by Tmima Shupack
Today at 4:55am I was ushered into my day by the Muslim call to prayer from the bed of my home stay in Istanbul. This was the perfect beginning to my day, as I and the whole of our group needed to be ready at 5:30am to board the bus that would take us to Continue Reading »
Posted on March 26, 2015 by Loren Berman
Today brought me back to my days as a Nitzanim (4th/5th grade) counselor at Camp Ramah in California. I am not the only one on our trip with youth group leadership experience, so I am sure others felt similarly. We did our best to bring lots of energy to the young Turkish students in order Continue Reading »
