We are fascinated by artists. Their work embodies what we want our lives to be: beautiful, meaningful, purposeful. But art is not only for artists. It’s for anyone who craves to know how to live more creatively, more deeply.
Join us on a seven-part journey as we explore Judaism’s insights into the arts and how they beautify and transform our lives, one brushstroke at a time...
What is art? What endows a painting with that magical power to convey a dimension of beauty and meaning that the object or scene it represents does not reveal to us on its own? Is it only artists who have access to that magic, or can we all learn to discover it? How do we transform our everyday lives into a work of art?
II - Music - December 16
The Pen of the Soul
What is music, and why does it move and inspire us in ways that nothing else can? Music communicates ideas that cannot be put into words, and evokes feelings that defy description; yet these ideas and feelings are even more potent than our rational thoughts and emotions. Unlocking the secret of music enables us to access that well of transcendent wisdom we each possess in the pith of our souls.
III - Literature - January 13
The Art of Storytelling
The ancient philosophers referred to the human race as “The Speaker.” From the moment we are born, we are telling a story—to ourselves and to others—the story that becomes the reality of our lives. Learn the secret of how words become a narrative, and you will hold in your hands the key to a cohesive and purposeful life.
IV - Dance - February 11
Movement and Relationship
Life is movement: the ways in which we move in relation to a loved one, in relation to our community and society, in relation to our Creator and source. We move in circles, we dip and soar, we rebound, we vibrate. Discover how intimacy and distance are inexorably bound to each other, and how the tension between them produces the dance of life.
V - Architecture - March 17
Edifice and Environment
The architect transforms material into structure and environment into habitable space. In this sense we are all architects. For as the chassidic masters teach, it is not enough to live our lives; we must also inhabit our endeavors and achievements. To construct the edifice of our lives, we need to learn the art and soul of the architect’s craft.
VI - Fashion Design - April 7
Interface and Engagment
We don and remove them at will. Their textures, colors, and shapes are in a constant state of flux, changing to adjust to weather, function, even the whim of the season. But make no mistake: these are no mere appendages, but integral to our personality and self-expression. The art of fashion design has much to teach us about the nature of the interface between ourselves and our world.
VII - Cuisine - May 5
The Art of Self-Transformation
The methods vary—cooking, blending, seasoning—but the purpose is transformation. In the kitchen, we transform an inedible, or unsavory, or merely bland substance into something edible and delectable. Explore the dynamics of the art of food preparation, and you will gain not only tools to nourish and satiate your family and loved ones, but also formulas for self-transformation.
