Free for Friends of Streicker
Tobi Kahn is an internationally acclaimed painter and sculptor whose collaborative work blends modern art with spirituality. It has been shown in over 70 solo museum exhibitions. His work can be found in major museums including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; The Phillips Collection; the Minneapolis Institute of Art; the Yale University Art Gallery; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; and The Jewish Museum among others. Kahn also communicates his passion for teaching. Cofounder of Avoda Arts, he has taught at the School of Visual Arts since 1985. Kahn lectures extensively at universities and public forums internationally.
The first female member of the Syrian Jewish community to be ordained as a rabbi, Dianne Cohler-Esses is Associate Rabbi and Director of Lifelong Learning at Romemu. A Jewish educator, scholar-in-residence and administrator, she speaks frequently about Torah, Jewish values, family life, ethnicity and disabilities. In 2007 she was named one of 50 top rabbis by The Washington Post online.
.בָּר֥וּךְ אַתָּ֖ה בְּבֹאֶ֑ךָ וּבָר֥וּךְ אַתָּ֖ה בְּצֵאתֶֽךָ
“Blessed be you in your coming in; blessed be you in your going out.”
(Deuteronomy 28:6)
Jewish tradition invites us to recite one hundred blessings each day, whether in prayer or during those countless moments when everyday wonders might otherwise pass unnoticed: over food, drink and friendship; upon seeing lightning, rainbows and the ocean; even smelling flowers. Doing so reminds us that whatever form our blessings take, they are precious, reflecting gratitude, appreciation and protection. Both the Torah and rabbinic tradition are filled with such blessings, received and bestowed, yearned for and stolen: blessings of sustenance and abundance, of children, inheritance and peace.
Even amidst the current rancor and our individual challenges, our lives are nonetheless marked by gifts we hardly stop to notice: Not only enough food, places to call home and air to breathe but also love, friendship, family, purpose, community and so much more.
In this Beit Midrash, we will explore biblical, rabbinic, legal and mystical texts that illuminate the many meanings of blessing and invite us to reflect on living life, awakening to it. The first hour of class will be text study and the second hour will be critique of the artists’ work.
Nancy, David and Jonathan Goldhill in memory of their mother, Barbara C. Freedman