The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies (www.pardes.org.il) is an open, inclusive, diverse and intellectually challenging Jewish learning community based in Jerusalem with programs worldwide. Pardes cultivates a life-long love of Jewish learning, the Jewish people and Israel. Pardes inspires engagement in Jewish life — as communal and spiritual leaders, educators and active participants.
“There is nothing I can recommend more than spending time at Pardes. Through the teachers and friends I met, I discovered how Judaism can be a source of guidance, making me a more informed Jew and a better person. Best spent year of my life.”
Matt Bar, Philadelphia, PA
Founder and Executive Director of Bible Raps
“Pardes is a great place for Jews of all nationalities. Our commonality as young Jews who want to learn and to ask questions is far greater than anything that might divide us.”
Veronique Kretz, Strasbourg, France
Philosophy & Law graduate
Written by Rabbi Dr. Levi Cooper – Is there a license to reinterpret the Torah through pronunciation? The license to reinterpret the biblical text by transposing the vowels is a potent, perhaps even dangerous tool. The sages explained that both Moses and David did apprenticeships as shepherds. Since they looked after their sheep with care Continue Reading »
Written by Rabbi Alex Israel (Pardes Faculty) – An incident during the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday has lit up social media recently like few other events. Actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock after he made a hurtful joke at Smith’s wife’s expense. Since everyone is weighing in about “the slap,” I’ll share three Continue Reading »
Written by Rabbi Dr. Levi Cooper – In Vienna 1820, Rabbi David HaKohen Friesenhausen (ca. 1756-1828) published a work in Hebrew entitled Mosdot Tevel (Foundations of the Universe). Friesenhausen procured rabbinic letters of recommendation which he printed in Mosdot Tevel, including such a letter from the illustrious Rabbi Moshe Sofer (known as the “Ḥatam Sofer”, 1762-1839), Continue Reading »
“There is something magical about studying and living in Jerusalem. If you want to know where the things we are learning about happened, you just look out the window.”
Gil Bar-Shoshan, Berlin, Germany
Fund manager at Aviva Investors
The online home of Pardes Digital Learning. Elmad provides access to Pardes’s unique blend of learning, with a variety of original podcasts, words of Torah and recorded lectures by our renowned faculty.
Topics include: Torah, Holidays, Halakah, History, Modernity, Spirituality, Education, Personalities, and the Self.
“My teachers were inspiring and wouldn’t let me get away with not knowing. My first year of Pardes was the hardest I ever worked, not to mention how fun it was. Pardes is a meeting place of spectacular souls.”
Jessica Fain, San Francisco, CA
Customer Success Partner at Box Inc.
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