Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on March 29, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen
From my blog: When I asked him why he made the haggadah he took a step back and gave me a weird shocked face, and said, “no one has asked me that question.” I also looked surprised, “no one has ever asked you why you wanted to make a haggadah?” He replied, “Well, not tonight.” Continue Reading »
Posted on March 27, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: “So I was walking down the sidewalk one day, and a bus hit me in the head.” Such are the stories you hear at a lunch table in Israel. But we’ll come back to that. In more recent news, I just finished celebrating my first day of Pesach in Israel. And let Continue Reading »
Posted on March 25, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Posted on March 25, 2013 by Derek Kwait
Written during Avigayle Adler’s workshop during Pardes’ Night of Learning for Passover. That’s nice, but–if I can ask this and still keep my teeth intact–what’s it for? The Halakha doesn’t answer my question. By the way, did you know afikomen is a Greek word? What’s up with that? Why do we end our seders with Continue Reading »
Posted on March 22, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Amber Ikeman (Year ’12) reflects upon how we can relate to Passover if we don’t believe in the story of the Haggadah: I often find myself questioning (shocker!) whether the stories in the Torah actually happened. Don’t you? I mean, it’s a really nice idea to think that thousands of years ago, maybe before humankind Continue Reading »
Posted on March 21, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Pardes is pleased to present the first episode of our new podcast series by Rabbi Daniel Landes, Unexpected Encounters: The Jewish Holidays and the Other. This episode is on Pesach. Pardes thanks the Alexander Soros Foundation, the sponsor for the series. UE Pesach Click here for the accompanying handout. Chag kasher v’sameach!
Posted on March 18, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Damian (PEP ’04-’06) is currently teaching elementary schoolin Even Yehuda, Israel, and taught for four years at TarbutV’Torah before making Aliyah with his family. The time I spent with friends and teachers studying the wisdom of our people at Pardes was a magical time in my life. I was a student, learning every day with Continue Reading »
Posted on January 10, 2013 by Cara Abrams-Simonton
Although this week’s parashah, Va’era, is full of many rich elements of our story as a Jewish people, I am drawn to the four promises that God makes to the Jewish people in chapter 6, verses 6 and 7: “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the LORD, and I will bring you Continue Reading »
Posted on April 16, 2012 by Derek Kwait
“Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt,” says the Haggada. While by no means do I, like most of the people I had seder with this year, consider myself inordinately wise or understanding, I Continue Reading »
