Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on March 15, 2013 by Derek Kwait
Hannah Grossman is an explorer. Her Jewish journey has taken her from the farthest ends of the earth to the deepest corners of her psyche. Yet the further she has traveled from her native New Jersey, the closer she has come to finally finding her Jewish home. Hannah grew up in West Orange, NJ to Continue Reading »
Posted on March 11, 2013 by David Bogomolny
I discovered the following text during an Ayeka session, and found it very challenging… then, in spiritual havruta, I fought with myself to think about this with an open mind, and I’d like to share my subsequent thoughts further below. אור ישראל, הרבי מסאלאנט Ohr Yisrael, Rav Yisrael of Salant מהו מהות של יראת שמים? “What is Continue Reading »
Posted on March 4, 2013 by Laura Marder
How do I explain how student teaching has been so far? I can offer some emotions that I have been feeling.. excited, nervous, overwhelmed, accomplished, confused, frustrated, proud, awe, happy, tired, welcomed… I supposed this just makes you all picture me a crazy roller coaster of emotions! I will try to be a bit more Continue Reading »
Posted on March 2, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Aryeh Ben David (Year ’80) shares the following on the Ayeka blog: I find that good poets talk from their soul story. William Stafford gave me insight into my life in a single priceless line. Any Journey When God watches you walk, you are neither straight nor crooked. The journey stretches out, and all of Continue Reading »
Posted on February 28, 2013 by Heather Kantrowitz
Parshat Ki Tissa contains a myriad of events, most notably, the incident of the Golden Calf. When Moses descends Mount Sinai after 40 days and nights in preparation for receiving the 10 Commandments, he discovers the people dancing around this molten calf. He then “hurled the tablets from his hand and shattered them at the Continue Reading »
Posted on February 24, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: Sometimes, a simple touch can make all the difference. In the Jewish world, some girls don’t touch boys. Some girls touch some boys. Some girls touch only one boy, and everyone hugs their mother. As a part of this world, I have become especially attuned to the presence and absence of human Continue Reading »
Posted on February 22, 2013 by Aliza Geller
This weekend, Parashat Tetzaveh, Shabbat Zachor is my Bat Mitzvah portion. When I was 12 years old, I wrote a dvar Torah about the maftir and haftarah. The reason this made sense, is that Shabbat Zachor is one of four Shabbatot where the maftir aliyah is from a different place in the Torah. In this Continue Reading »
Posted on February 18, 2013 by Michael Sassoon
I shared these words with the Pardes community at Community Lunch last week before my (temporary!) departure: My experience here in Israel and at Pardes has been breathtaking. I feel the following verse playing itself out here for me in terms of things I’ve done, places and people I’ve seen, delicacies I’ve tasted: אנכי ה` Continue Reading »
Posted on February 11, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Rosh Chodesh Adar is almost over, but Purim is coming soon! A Provocative Purim Poem by Sara Brandes (Year ’01, Fellows ’02, Elul ’05) ENJOY! Rabbi Sara Brandes lives in Los Angeles, CA, with her husband Hyim, and two children, Michal (5) and Gavi (2). She is West Coast Regional Director at Moving Traditions, and Continue Reading »
Posted on February 6, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Rachel Bikofsky (Summer ’12) wrote a reflection on last week’s Parshat Hashavuah (Parshat Yitro). We could all stand to take this lesson from her book: As parshiot go, this past week’s–Yitro–was a Big One. Amid tremendous spectacle at Mt. Sinai, Hashem revealed to the Israelites the Ten Commandments. Although the rest of the Torah would not be Continue Reading »
