Monthly Archives: August 2016

  I was walking my dog yesterday and was happily in my own zone–enjoying the sunshine and silence. When, all of a sudden, a car made a left into the gas station I was passing and nearly hit me! As the driver passed me, I looked in her car window and when she noticed me,Continue reading “Seeing With Open Arms”

Last month, in our opening circle at Pardes, we were asked to introduce ourselves and say where we were from. I didn’t know what to answer, so I said, “Heathrow Airport—because I feel most at home when I am either coming or going.” I’m used to jumping into new cultures and countries. I’m no strangerContinue reading “Coming, Going and Being”

I came to Israel with a long list of goals. I wanted to be in Eretz Israel, a land I felt a deep connection to. I wanted to understand the nation, the culture, the politics. I wanted to learn Hebrew, Torah, and Talmud. I came with open hands and an open heart. But such openness,Continue reading

This past Shabbat was very special, particularly because it was the last one I spent with my fellow Pardes students, some of whom I’ve been studying with for nearly a month and a half. We have shared laughter, personal stories, the experience of learning challenging and interesting texts, and we’ve grown together. We decided toContinue reading

Walking to class yesterday along the Rakevet, I came upon a group of about 15 preschool children. Their two teachers were sitting about 30 feet apart from another along the converted train tracks. The children were barefoot and were running from one teacher to another. Back and forth, back and forth. These children were allContinue reading