Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on January 19, 2012 by Jackie F.
I wrote the below after our tour with Beit Orot. ”Traveling endlessly To see To know To understand Feeling farther from facts Forever dizzy holding multiple narratives presented as truths Forever frustrated without solutions at hand Forever hopeless of finding a win-win Standing on Har HaZatim Sounds of Muslim Call to Prayer Sounds of Christian Continue Reading »
Posted on January 16, 2012 by Barer
Thanks to the creative efforts of Amir Zinkow, Naomi Zaslow, Derek Kwait and Adrienne Silver, we have haikus for each and every one of the returning students (in alphabetical order). Enjoy! Benjamin Barer Loves his Vancouver Canucks Second year fellow Jess C. Belasco Editor, Pardes lit. mag. Leins lots for egal Aliza Berger Premier opera Continue Reading »
Posted on January 13, 2012 by Barer
For this week’s parsha, I wanted to give over a small portion of a class I had the privilege of attending given by Shmuel Klitsner, talking about the strange episode at the Malon (inn), in which Hashem, or some representative, tries to kill Moshe. Shmuel drew a number of fascinating connections between this episode and Continue Reading »
Posted on January 12, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media
Pardes student Andrew Lustig performed this piece for the community at the 1st Shabbaton of the year, and we’re very excited that he’s finally made it available online! Thanks, Andrew!
Posted on January 11, 2012 by Lauren Schuchart
Originally posted here. Teach me and instruct me how to behave with all people in the world so that I may merit being in peace with all, even with those who disagree with me, And so that I should merit to always be a lover of peace,and a pursuer of peace As it is Continue Reading »
Posted on January 5, 2012 by Barer
This week marks the end of Bereishit (Genesis). The parsha is focused on the blessings that Yaakov/Yisrael gives his twelve sons, but I want to focus on the end of the parsha. After the blessings, Yaakov/Yisrael “expires” – the biblical phrase for dying. Since he asked to be buried in the Cave of Machpelah (which Continue Reading »
Posted on December 31, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha marks the end of the Yosef narrative (though he is still alive and present in at least one important scene in next week’s parsha too), where he is finally reconnected with his family, and, perhaps most importantly, with his father. There is an interesting verse when the brothers return to Yaakov/Yisrael where Continue Reading »
Posted on December 16, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha is full of the narrative action we have become familiar with in Bereishit, with this parsha in particular being so great as to be turned into a Broadway musical (Joseph and the Amazing Coat of Many Colours). However, a less-known fact is that the Rashbam chooses the beginning of this parsha to Continue Reading »
Posted on December 8, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha has so much going on that it is hard to figure out one thing to talk about. I want to focus on something that occurs simply on the level of the text itself, without considering any commentators. Over the course of Bereishit so far, a number of people have had their names Continue Reading »
Posted on December 1, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha presents a number of fascinating narratives, as it deals with the major portion of Yaakov’s adult life prior to his children taking center stage in the narrative. On the cursory reading that time allows me, the interactions between Yaakov and his father-in-law (and uncle) Lavan are extremely hard to follow. It may Continue Reading »
