These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Tag Archives: the future

[PEP Student] Witch’s Brew

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Daniel Weinreb

I am a student at Pardes. I’m learning like everyone else, reveling in my progress or in a boxing match with Jastrow trying to translate an Aramaic verb that long ago dropped every letter in its shoresh except vav.. I also am in the Educator Program which means that sometimes I step outside my student Continue Reading »

Coercion – an inner struggle

Posted on February 6, 2012 by J. Belasco

I find that I would like to explore more intensively the question of where flexibility exists within halacha and what to do with conflict between the halachic system and my other values. This is particularly important for me right now, since I am on the brink of moving out of the bubble of Pardes and Continue Reading »

The Pardes Sunset Project – Evening 2

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Heligman

Too often the shades of our life are drawn and God’s magnificent colors are missed.  I am taking on this project as a means to stop and enjoy God’s brilliance.  For the month of November, each day I will document the evening sunset from the Pardes Beit Midrash. I hope you will stop and notice Continue Reading »

Welcome Home Gilad

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Andrea Wiese

Today is an amazing day for Israel and Israelis. Gilad Shalit who was was imprisoned in Gaza by Hamas for over five years, 1,941 days, was freed this morning after long negotiations in a prisoner exchange. 1,027 prisoners were released from Israel for Gilad’s return. Many people are upset about the exchange, saying how could Continue Reading »

The Unattainable Prayer

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 »

2011-2012 Pardes Fellows (3 of 3)

Posted on September 13, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media

Let’s meet some more of this year’s Pardes Fellows!  Kalie is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and before arriving in Israel, she was completing her undergraduate degree in American Studies at George Washington University (where she also directed a hip hop dance company!). In the fall of 2010, she was gearing up to begin an M.A. in Media and Public Affairs at Continue Reading »

2011-2012 Pardes Fellows (1 of 3)

Posted on September 9, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media

Let’s meet some of this year’s Pardes Fellows!  Benjamin Barer  is from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and first attended Pardes in the Fall of 2010 before completing his undergraduate studies in philosophy at UBC last Spring. Before matriculating at UBC, Ben studied at a Chofetz Chayim yeshiva for high school in Vancouver, and now at Pardes, Ben revels in the diverse Continue Reading »

ראה, re’eh

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

this week’s parshat re’eh teaches a bit of the old mixed with some of the new.  the old:  don’t worship other gods.  this is something pretty fundamental to our covenant with God that we’ve covered several times over in other places of the Torah.  however, the bit of the new: don’t worship אלוהים אחרים אשר Continue Reading »

By their families and their ancestral houses

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Pious Antic

Last week, I spoke briefly at Pardes’ closing lunch, and I have adapted what I remember of them, since I never actually got around to typing them up ahead of time, here: Two years ago, when I first arrived at Pardes, I was struck by something our dean, David Bernstein said during one of the Continue Reading »

Promises, Promises

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Aviva P.

Prior to coming to Israel, my mother tried made me promise her three things: I won’t date an Israeli I won’t move to Israel/want to make aliyah I won’t become orthodox While somehow I believed that there was no reason for my mom to be concerned (1) Israelis are difficult, 2) I liked living in Continue Reading »