By Doron Krakow JERUSALEM — My son, Aaron, is a student at Machon Pardes (The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies), where he is spending a semester studying Jewish texts—a spiritual journey taking the place of the kind of post-army trek to southeast Asia typical of many young Israelis. For Aaron, who received a limited formal Jewish education growing up, the time at Pardes addresses a longstanding desire to know more about who he is and about the roots of our people. The study is intense: Five months. Often 12-hour days or more. Classes in Tanakh (Torah, Prophets, and Writings), Talmud,...