Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on January 29, 2013 by Rachel Rosenbluth
Tu Bishvat. It’s a day to plant a tree, hug a tree, or nap under a tree. Tu Bishvat symbolizes grounded-ness and growth; rooted-ness and renewal. I celebrated this year’s Tu Bishvat by joining Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) on a trip to Qusra, a Palestinian community in the West Bank. Beginning with blessings in Hebrew Continue Reading »
Posted on December 8, 2012 by Mary Brett Koplen
Originally posted on my CowBird: I AM THAT I AM. Julie is 52 and plays the dulcimer. She is a teacher and a doodler. She strikes a note. “Listen up, Israel,” the first note says to the next. Danielle is 20 and is Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestine, Pro-Peace. She tells me: “To get to the Holy Western Continue Reading »
Posted on December 5, 2012 by Shoshana Rosen
By Shoshana Rosen How do I even begin to put into words, an experience that in its essence has no words? Just recently coming back from a silent meditation shabbaton, up north at Kibbutz Hannaton I realize only how much it impacted me by the stark reality of coming back home. Like many have said Continue Reading »
Posted on December 4, 2012 by Kayla Higgins
(Cross-posted from Interfaith Youth Core) I had just taken my first bite of lunch when I suddenly saw everyone around me stand up and head for the front door. I hadn’t even heard the siren. I put my sandwich down and joined my fellow classmates filing into the bomb shelter, where we gathered for ten Continue Reading »
Posted on December 3, 2012 by Stuart Matan Lithwick
The following post has been cross-posted from my Studymoon blog. Hello! Shmatan here again, writing from the holy land! I cannot believe that Chanukah has almost arrived! That means that all us Pardesniks have now been here for 3 months! It blows my mind how fast time goes by. Before, we get started, I must Continue Reading »
Posted on November 1, 2012 by AdAm Mayer
Every Shabbat when I sit down to eat dinner I start by singing Shalom Alechem, a song of welcoming angels. The four verses of this song begin as follows: “Shalom” – a greeting, “Boachem” – bringing in, “Barchuni” – asking blessing, and “Tzetchem” – leaving. I would like to suggest that this song can inform Continue Reading »
Posted on October 21, 2012 by Adam L Masser
I wrote this song last spring during my first semester at Pardes. For me, it is really tied to feelings of peace, joy and confidence that I experienced after going backpacking with fellow Pardesniks Joseph, Andrew, Adrienne and Joseph’s roommate Jonathan. We hiked a few days through the Negev and them tremped to a music Continue Reading »
Posted on October 5, 2012 by Sydni Adler
During Sukkot, we celebrate God’s hand in the successes of our past years’ produce and of all the work of our hands (Deut 16:15). Before the destruction of the Temple, Sukkot was much more of a raucous, noisy, purely joyful celebration than it is today. However, today, without the Temple and without sacrifice, what remains Continue Reading »
Posted on May 23, 2012 by Yishai
Originally posted on my blog: Jerusalem Day On the twenty-eighth of Iyar A battle was fought, With G-d’s help, we won, Against annihilation. Jerusalem, are we worthy of you? When will we live up to your name? Do we deserve these holy places? We were not worthy of leaving Egypt, What is different now? Oh, Continue Reading »
Posted on May 3, 2012 by Barer
Last week, I attended MASA’s Yom HaZikaron ceremony (טקס) with some other Pardesniks. It had been six years since I had commemorated Israel’s two Memorial Days — for fallen soldiers and victims of terror since the founding of Israel and Holocaust Remembrance Day — in Israel, when I was a participant on March of the Continue Reading »
