Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on March 28, 2013 by Ari Abelman
From my blog: I’d like to use this post to respond to a sentiment that I have frequently heard in recent years among Israelis with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The sentiment goes something like this: “I’m in favor of peace with the Palestinians, including a two-state solution in which the Palestinians would have a 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 15, 2013 by Derek Kwait
Hannah Grossman is an explorer. Her Jewish journey has taken her from the farthest ends of the earth to the deepest corners of her psyche. Yet the further she has traveled from her native New Jersey, the closer she has come to finally finding her Jewish home. Hannah grew up in West Orange, NJ to Continue Reading »
Posted on March 6, 2013 by Andrea Wiese
Our double Parsha – Vayakhel-Pekudei is focused on building the Mishkan or Tabernacle. And as we know, God calls on Betzelel to build it. There are two contradicting Midrashim around Betzelel and the order in which he builds the Tabernacle (Mishkan משכן), the Ark (Aron ארון), and the vessels (כלים the keilim). In Shemot Rabba Continue Reading »
Posted on February 10, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Peter Stein (Kollel ’09-’11) writes about Parshat Mishpatim: In this week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim, we find a series of laws dealing with how to respond to the blessings God gives us. מלאתך ודמעך לא תאחר בכור בניך תתן־לי כן־תעשה לשרך לצאנך שבעת ימים יהיה עם־אמו ביום השמיני תתנו־לי “You shall not put off the skimming of Continue Reading »
Posted on February 7, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
This week, Rabbi Alex Israel discusses Parashat Mishpatim in “Explicating the Ten Commandments.” Mishpatim ’73 Shabbat shalom!
Posted on February 6, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Rachel Bikofsky (Summer ’12) wrote a reflection on last week’s Parshat Hashavuah (Parshat Yitro). We could all stand to take this lesson from her book: As parshiot go, this past week’s–Yitro–was a Big One. Amid tremendous spectacle at Mt. Sinai, Hashem revealed to the Israelites the Ten Commandments. Although the rest of the Torah would not be Continue Reading »
Posted on January 16, 2013 by David Bogomolny
One Aspect of Halakha that is Particularly Meaningful to Me “Anyone who identifies as Jewish today only need go back three or four generations to find observant Jews in their family. And from there an unbroken chain of Jewish living that goes back more than three thousand years. Not that everyone has always been observant. Continue Reading »
Posted on January 6, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Zionism has become a touchy subject for many people in today’s post-modern culture, but here’s a beautiful, articulate piece that describes Pardes alum Alissa Thomas’ (Spring ’11) personal relationship to the concept of Zionism and the modern state of Israel: From alum Alissa Thomas’ Sh’ma Blog: As expected, everyone is thinking, talking, and praying about Continue Reading »
Posted on December 29, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media
Laura Marder has constantly been in our community’s thoughts since she left us recently for America; and her recent post reminded us of Mary-Brett‘s post from her Pardes Summer ’11 program… M-B also spoke about the Gift of Life at Pardes this Fall, and many more Pardesniks got swabbed when the Gift of Life representative Continue Reading »
