Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on February 13, 2014 by Sam Stern
From my blog: Tuesday (Jan 28/27 Shevat): It was a normal Tuesday evening. Finish Pardes classes at 5, frantically run to the bus stop, ride around Jerusalem for about an hour, sit through my lady learning class, talk to Rav D, go home angry. But on this particular night, I left thinking “ma nishtana ha’lila Continue Reading »
Posted on February 9, 2014 by Aliza Geller
Imagine that you are at summer camp. You are a rising 5th grader, and share a communal bathhouse with rising 6th and 7th graders. It so happens that whenever you go to wait in line to brush your teeth there is a 7th grader who pushes her way to the front of the line. What Continue Reading »
Posted on February 6, 2014 by Deborah Renert
As I reflect on Rabbi Daniel Roth’s introduction to “Constructive Conflict ‘for the Sake of Heaven’…” I cannot help but also reflect on the Pew Study, and the Pew Survey program which took place here at Pardes this past December. The Pew Research Center published on October 1st 2013 findings that reflected that the intermarriage Continue Reading »
Posted on February 5, 2014 by Tani Cohen-Fraade
Daniel Roth presented our ‘Judaism and Conflict Resolution’ class for Jewish Educators with this assignment, and below is the ‘Third Story’ that I wrote about Jacob and Essau: It was the day of Reuven’s Bar Mitzvah. All of the brothers were there. Things had been a little awkward between the family and Uncle Esav and Continue Reading »
Posted on February 3, 2014 by Jeff Amshalem
This past week, while I was substitute teaching a halakhah class here at Pardes, I mentioned by way of introduction that as well as being a proud and very busy member of the Pardes Educators Program, I am also, in that context, a member of the Kollel here. People immediately asked, what is this Kollel Continue Reading »
Posted on January 30, 2014 by Dorielle Parker
Daniel Roth presented our ‘Judaism and Conflict Resolution’ class for Jewish Educators with this assignment, and below is the modern ‘Third Story’ that I wrote about Jacob and Esav: It is written: “And he kissed him” (Genesis 33:4) Do you remember your first kiss? Awkward braces, chapped lips, a pulse fast enough to make a Continue Reading »
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 January 26, 2014 by Jenna King Brill
It was maybe five minutes after I first walked into the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies’ beit midrash that I thought: “Woah. The people here are incredible!” Anyone you talk to who has spent time at Pardes will tell you that it is the people who make it such a unique and wonderful place. It Continue Reading »
Posted on January 23, 2014 by Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez
As I progress in my pregnancy and it becomes so visibly obvious people become more and more free with their questions, and one of the most common ones I get goes something like this: Person: Are you going to have the baby here or go back to America? Me: Here! 🙂 Person: Is your family Continue Reading »
Posted on January 19, 2014 by Ben Schneider
From my blog: I’ve been learning a lot about traditional Jewish marriage this semester. In Gemara classes on tractates Kiddushin and Ketubot, we’ve been talking about how a man betroths a woman and what the language of the Ketubah indicates about their rights and obligations. There are also more esoteric topics: A man can encourage Continue Reading »
