These and Those

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

Tag Archives: trust / distrust

[PCJE] Kohelet: Let it Go

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen

Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah. Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes, which we read on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot, is a depressing and troubling book. It is written by “Kohelet the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Ecc. 1:1). Who was this king, and why Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Where in our lives do we look for “magic”?

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Carolyn Gerecht

As Parshat Shemot closes, it’s not looking good for the Israelites. Petitioned by Aharon and Moshe, Pharaoh not only refuses their (botched) request to free the Israelites from slavery – he also adds to their misery by demanding that they now gather the straw that they need themselves while still maintaining the same pace (Shemot Continue Reading »

[Jerusalem Medley] Omar

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Candace Mittel

About Jerusalem Medley Omar We’ve been here in this same location three hundred eighty five years. We came from Jerusalem, we owned a house seven hundred years ago, we still own it, we live upstairs.  I was born and raised upstairs.  The store was closed for eight days during the Six Day War.  In 1967, Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] One Wish for Iran, Love Israel

Posted on August 5, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Joseph Shamash (Year ’12, MAPP ’13) and Andrew Lustig (Year ’12) have produced their latest video:

a Dvar for Hannah

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Andrea Wiese

Relative to life, Hannah and I are new friends. Even though we knew each other before, we really met at the beginning of this year. I was lucky enough to room with her at the first Shabbaton of the year where I finally got the inside scoop on the engagement. (Eitan really couldn’t provide enough Continue Reading »

Enlisting the Torah: My Encounter Trip Reflection

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Kayla Higgins

Our bus returned to Jerusalem an hour before Shabbat candle-lighting time. I quickly biked home to shower and light the candles before heading out to my friend’s place for dinner. It was only at twilight, while walking along the Rakevet (the old railroad tracks that cut across the south Jerusalem) and reading from a commentary Continue Reading »

Irony’s Revenge: The Post-Modern Shidduch Date

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Derek Kwait

Jewish Dating Tips #1: If we call ourselves single, we make ourselves lonely—A single is a person shipwrecked on an island. Adam HaRishon, the first man was single. Nobody else has been single since. When you feel alone and single, make your life more meaningful. Start appreciating those around you. Use the most precious gift Continue Reading »

Bare

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes

From my blog: This is the story of a girl. Many girls, actually. This story was born long ago, but a recent confluence of events has compelled me to record it today. The events are as follows (some are more like situations than events): Event 1: I live with two boys. This is a situation. Continue Reading »

The Photograph

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Tadea Klein

There is a little girl in a photograph A fair-haired, sweet-faced thing Her arms wrapped around the neck of a man with dark, calm eyes and the inquisitive sniffing nose of a true Jew I know that this girl in her red shirt and black velvet dress, whose earliest memory is the sound of shouting, Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Tongue Parmesan – by AdAm Mayer

Posted on April 11, 2013 by AdAm Mayer

I was sitting in the chadar ochel (dining hall) during lunch yesterday with a number of Pardes students, and Zvi Hirschfield turns around from the next table and decides to poll our small group: “Lashon Hara –an aveira [sin] or just good advice?” As to be expected from any gathering of Pardes students, there was Continue Reading »