Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on October 9, 2013 by Hannah Joy
From my blog: Some more of my observations, now that I’ve been here for about a month and a half: Only in Israel… Would the entire country (including the airport) shut down on Yom Kippur, and the streets be empty of cars, but full of people dressed in white walking to synagogue, and bikers enjoying Continue Reading »
Posted on October 6, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Daniel Shibley reflects: Our parasha last week, Noah, contains the famous story of the flood. However, I would like to focus instead on two words that border the flood narrative. The words in question appear in a number of other places in the Torah. More often than not, the appearance of these words is immediately Continue Reading »
Posted on September 29, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Daniel Shibley (Year ’11, Fellows ’12) reflects: Whether you are in the diaspora or Israel, all of the holidays in this season have come to a close. Although we may joke about them finally being over and the relief therein, every year at this point, I experience a quasi-withdrawl syndrome. The following is an attempt Continue Reading »
Posted on September 28, 2013 by Sam Stern
From my blog: We dance, we kiss, we schmooze, we carry on, we go home happy. What do you say? Come on. The holiday of Sukkot is sometimes referred to as the Festival of In-gathering. In the agricultural world, this time period marks the completion of the harvest and the beginning of the planting/rainy season. Continue Reading »
Posted on September 18, 2013 by Hannah Joy
From my blog: In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, we spent a lot of time at Pardes learning about the book of Jonah. The concept that has stuck most in my mind is something we discussed in a lecture given by Judy Klitsner: that of human’s desire and ability (or lack of ability) to change. Continue Reading »
Posted on September 16, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
From my blog: I walked out of Shul on Friday night, after Kol Nidre, feeling a little bit guilty. I beat my chest, I proclaimed the words, but I didn’t feel truly connected to sins that seemed so grand. I rattled off ashamnu, bagadnu, dibarnu dofi…., but my heart wasn’t in it. I guess I fell Continue Reading »
Posted on September 13, 2013 by Eva Neuhaus
My friend Adam Mayer posed a question that stuck with me through the Days of Awe: What is the most effective way to do teshuvah? How can we forgive ourselves and others completely? Here are some of my reflections: 1. The fact that we’ve done bad things doesn’t make us bad people. Examining our shortcomings Continue Reading »
Posted on September 13, 2013 by Andrea Wiese
From my blog: During Yom Kippur, we are commanded to “afflict ourselves.” “עינוי נפש” The gemara has a very lengthy discussion of what this could mean. Does it mean we don’t have sexual relations, does it mean we physically hurt ourselves? No, the gemara concludes, it means that we don’t eat or drink. But how Continue Reading »
Posted on September 13, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: This week was my first full week of class at Pardes, leaving me with less of some things and more of others. More: Learning. Torah. Prayer. Introductions. Re-acquaintances. Texts. Less: Free Time. Energy. Mental Focus. If you haven’t heard from me recently, I’m truly sorry about that. Adjusting to my new schedule will hopefully Continue Reading »
Posted on September 11, 2013 by Aliza Geller
From my blog: There is a strong possibility that I will soon be rebranding this blog as a food blog. The past few posts have been about food. Maybe it is significant that Yom Kippur is in two days. The most likely culprit however, is how I spent my summer “vacation”. I spent the summer Continue Reading »
