Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on October 9, 2011 by Soffer
Originally posted on Darkeynu דרכינו: וברכה שלום, Throughout my year in Israel, I will use this blog to share what I study in the classroom, and to describe what I observe on the streets; I will discuss not only the Torah that I learn, but also the Torah that I live. I hope that in Continue Reading »
Posted on October 4, 2011 by Barer
Judaism, one could argue, is obsessed with marking time as sacred, normal, or anywhere in between. At this time which Judaism demarcates as particularly sacred — we are in the middle of the Aseret Ye’mei Teshuva, the Ten Days of Repentance — it is hard not to be caught up in the spiritual fervour that Continue Reading »
Posted on September 26, 2011 by Shibley
The lead-up to Rosh Hashana is in full swing, slichot start in a few hours. Each morning except for Shabbat and erev Rosh Hashana we have heard, and will hear the blats of the shofar, it awakenings us, and reminding us of the importance of the upcoming days. Aside from intensifying the tshuva process, that Continue Reading »
Posted on September 23, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, I hope you are all well. For those of you who don’t know, I had a computer “emergency” last week – my laptop fell at school and I had to replace my hard drive. So due to technical difficulties, no dvar Torah last week. My apologies. Trust me, I wish I would have Continue Reading »
Posted on September 20, 2011 by Derek Kwait
Facinating article for discussion from Reform Judaism Magazine (for the record, I stumbled upon it via a positive review on an Orthodox site): http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=2854 Campus Life 201: Trying Out Frum by Emily Langowitz For the past week, my alarm has gone off every morning at seven—the click of the radio calling me to another day Continue Reading »
Posted on September 11, 2011 by Andrea Wiese
Today I had my first Personalizing Prayer class. Although the name might make it seem obvious to some, the class is suppose to help the students become more familiar with the Siddur, Hebrew prayer book, the language, and to really understand the words and meaning of the prayer. Some people would prefer a different class Continue Reading »
Posted on September 8, 2011 by Shibley
Throughout the first year of of my blog I tried to write about a few different locations where I davened, in an effort to try and understand how a space does or does not impact the tfillah experience. Yesterday afternoon, I was asked by one of my Pardes teachers if I would go to mincha Continue Reading »
Posted on September 8, 2011 by Shibley
With the onset of Rosh Hodesh Elul, we will begin the twice daily recitation of Psalm 27, along with the daily blasts of the shofar. Sephardic communities begin the recitation of slichot (liturgical poems for forgiveness), and the gradual ascension from Tisha b’Av to Rosha Hashana increases its gradient. As such, I thought it would Continue Reading »
Posted on July 10, 2011 by Mary Brett Koplen
Mary Brett Koplen, Pardes Summer learner, shares her Rosh Chodesh experience with Women of the Wall. For more of Mary Brett’s writing or to see her original post, visit her website: Where the Gnome Goes (A Traveling Blog). At 6:15am, I am showered and partially coffeed. I stand on a Jerusalem street corner with my Continue Reading »
Posted on June 22, 2011 by Jeremy S.
I originally posted the following entry on my blog back in February: And going out to meet You, I found You coming toward me. -Yehuda Halevi (c. 1075-1141) It was my first shabbat in Jerusalem. After lunch I walked with a young aspiring rabbi to the Old City, in through the Jaffa Gate and down to Continue Reading »
