Sounds good, right? It is. I enrolled in the Pardes Institute's Elul Program, a one-month Jewish studies seminar at this unique egalitarian yeshiva. You can read more about it on their website, Pardes.org.il .
The people at Pardes create a warm, but certainly eclectic community that is open-minded but not pluralistic. There is an emphasis on understanding Jewish law, but liberal enforcement of how it is observed: no dress code, no mandatory services or prayers - just a will to study rigorously and think thoughtfully.
At our opening circle, about 60 of us, faculty and students, went around and answered where we've been, where we're going, and one thing not on our résumé. We had bluegrass musicians, fourth year students, and the Monopoly champion of the Bronx. My fun fact: I haven't slept in the same bed for over a week in eight months. This is my eighth country in that time...and I'm really excited to be settled in Chicago.
But for now, I'm here. So what have I been doing that I'm too busy to blog each day?
Eating many Marzipan rugelach, which are mushy for the bakers pour hot sugar on top.
Bought groceries, read: bread, pickles, turkey and yogurt
Explored the shuk, sipping lemonana (mint lemonade) and not being overwhelmed because this market is tiny compared to Istanbul's
Had a banana chocolate waffle
Listened to the Muslim call to prayer while standing on the Women's section looking at the Kotel.Ran into three camp staff at a restaurant, a bakery and a street corner
Watched a Ted talk and learned relevant Jewish texts at the program orientation
Painted a bottle and turned it into a vase, while playing Jewish geography with other Pardes students
Got sunburnt having a picnic potluck at the tayelet (overlook) with 55 Pardes people, and a few days before, spent midnight there with two Germany friends, watching the city lights and talking about deep things.
Watched the sunset on a friends rooftop overlooking the city and counted three stars, signaling the start of a great week.
Some things I've been thinking about:
Why people cry at the Western Wall, and why I don't
Why America feels the need to attack Syria, and why I'm more annoyed than scared
Why men and women maybe probably should pray and study separately
Why I can't stop eating those rugelach
I have this amazing phone plan where I can call America for free, plus unlimited text call and data for just $15 (Verizon,you're seriously the worst), so I am able to be way too connected while here. But the nature of my program puts me in a classroom for ten hours a day, deciphering Hebrew texts word by word, starting tomorrow morning. This will be a challenge, as I never formally studied Hebrew and realized this week that I can't say more than three-word sentences. I'm struggling to reconcile my knowledge of Judaism with the lack of Hebrew. Hopefully, this program will begin to close the gap and ameliorate the dissonance.
On an unrelated but important note: our first alma mater game day kick-off isn't for a few hours, I'm ten hours ahead of California and won't be staying up so there is only one way to end this post:
Go 'cats!
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