Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on January 28, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman
by Debra Weiner, Pardes Staff I have lived in Israel for over 20 year yet had never visited Turkey – only 2 hours away yet worlds apart. When I heard that a group of students would be traveling to Turkey with Rabbi Levi Cooper, I jumped at the chance to travel with them. I had Continue Reading »
Posted on September 11, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
From my blog: As most of you know, my mom’s birthday falls 6 days before mine. I always like to say that I was the best birthday present she ever got; even if I was a few days late. When I was wishing her a happy birthday, it dawned on me how closely our birthdays Continue Reading »
Posted on April 9, 2013 by Heather Kantrowitz
From my blog: There are certain moments in my life where everything has come to a screeching halt. Most of these have just been moments when my personal world, or maybe my family or community, has stopped. Today (Yom HaShoah), I experienced an entire country ceasing all activity – learning, work, driving, shopping – and Continue Reading »
Posted on March 20, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Kim Phillips (Summer ’06) is a marketing professional, artist, writer and teacher in Nashville, Tennessee. One Shabbat morning, the rabbi entered Torah study and, instead of launching into the text, looked intensely around the circle of people gathered there. “I want to know how you feel about Israel,” she said. “However you feel is fine, Continue Reading »
Posted on March 16, 2013 by Derek Kwait
Think of it as divrei Torah for the Talmud. Rabbi Dr. Levi Cooper’s Relics for the Present is an innovative, insightful, and thoroughly practical look at Mesechet Brachot that is sure to provide inspiration for Talmudic newcomers as much as long-time scholars. Whether read cover-to-cover or piecemeal, whether you’ve ever studied Tractate Brachot, or any Continue Reading »
Posted on March 8, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Eric Brief (Yr. 2008-09) sent us the following reflection of his year at Pardes to post on These&Those! Check out his blog to see his beautiful art and weekly divrei Torah! If I remember anything about my experience at Pardes it is that I got more than I could have ever imagined. I’m not exactly Continue Reading »
Posted on February 12, 2013 by David Bogomolny
Over the course of the past several years, I’ve come to learn that it’s not entirely clear whether praying in a minyan is halakhically required or not. Granted, most sources agree that praying in a minyan is at least encouraged & laudable… but ultimately, my halakhic obligation is to pray the correct services (morning, afternoon, evening) at the correct times. Outside of Continue Reading »
Posted on January 19, 2013 by Ma'ayan Dyer
From my blog: After seven months in the States, living a solitary Jewish lifestyle (meaning, an incredibly hollow one, sans community), day after day of ten hour shifts of packing candy on assembly lines, sitting on my tuchus in a call center selling fruit baskets and truffles to rich elderly folks, and waitressing a few Continue Reading »
Posted on January 13, 2013 by David Bogomolny
Tamar (Fall ’12) had only planned to remain at Pardes for the Elul Program, but ended up staying for the entire Fall semester – much to her own surprise! Having grown up in the Golders Green Synagogue community, Tamar became a leader of her local Bnei Akiva youth group, taking on the role of madricha at the age Continue Reading »
Posted on December 14, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media
Daniel Shibley (Year ’11, Fellows ’12) started a new blog! Here’s one of his posts, from Dec. 11: Although we are now a few weeks removed from the tense days of war that came to define the month of November, the exact moment of the first siren has remained with me, a quasi-trauma, a frozen Continue Reading »
