Dr. David I. Bernstein is Dean Emeritus of Pardes. He holds B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from New York University and studied at Yeshivat HaMivtar and Hebrew University. Originally from the Bronx and Manhattan, he has spent much of his adult life in Jerusalem.
David served as Dean of Pardes for more than two decades, following eleven years as Director of Midreshet Lindenbaum. Passionate about Jewish education, David was a Jerusalem Fellow at the Mandel School for Jewish Education, and is still involved teaching pedagogy at MMY. David also leads Jewish heritage trips throughout Eastern and Central Europe, helping participants deepen their understanding of Jewish history and identity. David’s preferred destination for recharging his batteries has always been the basketball court.
This piece was published in the eJewish Philanthropy on January 29, 2015. Click here to view the original article. In a fascinating book published recently by two economic historians, Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein, the question of why Jews (traditionally…
Critical issues, Intermarriage, Modernity
How do we make sense of Divine reward and punishment in our complex world? In this week’s episode of the Pardes Parsha Podcast, Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield is joined by Dean Emeritus Dr. David I. Bernstein for a discussion on theodicy,…
Tanakh, Torah, Vayikra (Leviticus), Metzora, Podcast series, Pardes Parsha Podcast
Once again this year, the residents of the Baka and Mekor Chaim neighborhoods gathered. It’s an annual get-together that crosses every dividing line among Jews in Israel: immigrants and native-born, secular and religious, Ashkenazim and Mizrachim, old and young, left-wing…
Critical issues, Israel, Jewish calendar, Israel National Holidays, Yom Hazikaron
Does a book thousands of years old have any relevance to our lives? Does a tradition of ancient and medieval origins bring any new insights to a post-modern world? We find ourselves, in the cycle of the Torah readings, near the…
Tanakh, Torah, Bamidbar (Numbers), Balak, Critical issues, Israel
In this class held at Pardes Jerusalem for Yom Hashoah 2015, David Bernstein addresses the question of how could ordinary men turn into mass murderers? How could human beings stand idly by? How could clever politicians be duped by the…
Jewish history, Holocaust, Jewish calendar, Israel National Holidays, Yom Hashoah
Fourth preparatory session for 2014 Pardes trip to Germany with ‘Germany Close Up’ Organization.
Jewish history, Holocaust
Third preparatory session for 2014 Pardes trip to Germany with ‘Germany Close Up’ Organization.
Jewish history, Medieval and Early Modern Europe
Second preparatory session for 2014 Pardes trip to Germany with ‘Germany Close Up’ Organization.
Jewish history, Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Personalities, Modern personalities
First preparatory session for 2014 Pardes trip to Germany with ‘Germany Close Up’ Organization.
Jewish history, Medieval and Early Modern Europe