A Skirball Academy Class
Tobi Kahn &
Rabbanit Leah Sarna
The Barbara C. Freedman Artists’ Beit Midrash
(Winter 2026)
Shifting Landscapes:
The Torah’s Way, The Artist’s Way
In the first semester of this year-long journey, we will traverse shifting landscapes to explore stories of transformation—of home, exile and return; of breaking and becoming; of hiddenness and emergence—through the lenses of Torah, Midrash and the individual artist’s creativity.
We will follow the arc of creation, the exile from Eden, Jacob’s night of wrestling, the hidden courage of Esther, the fire that burns but does not consume, the sea that splits and saves, among other stories. Alongside these ancient narratives, we’ll delve into the inner world of the artist: the beginner’s mind, the honing of craft, flow, the role of chaos and the risks of destruction.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS’ BEIT MIDRASH
For a quarter century, the Artists’ Beit Midrash has been a space for reflection, exploration and the sacred act of creation using holy texts, rabbis’ narratives and individual creativity. This group is open both to those who have never studied texts before and those deeply invested in study.
Mondays, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
January 12, 26, February 2, 9, 23, March 9
$220 | $150 Temple Emanu-El members
Free for Friends of Streicker
OFFERED ONLINE
Skirball Academy General Information
Sponsored by: Nancy, David and Jonathan Goldhill in memory of their mother, Barbara C. Freedman
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.
Rabbanit Leah Sarna is the Associate Director of Education and Director of High School Programs at Drisha. She previously served as Director of Religious Engagement at Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation in Chicago, a leading urban Orthodox congregation. She was ordained at Yeshivat Maharat in 2018, holds a BA from Yale University in Philosophy & Psychology, and also trained at the SKA Beit Midrash for Women at Migdal Oz, Drisha and the Center for Modern Torah Leadership.
Rabbanit Sarna’s published works have appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Lehrhaus and the Jewish Review of Books. She has lectured in Jewish communal settings around the world and loves spreading her warm, energetic love for Torah and Mitzvot with Jews in all stages of life.
Mondays, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
January 12, 26, February 2, 9, 23, March 9
$220 | $150 Temple Emanu-El members
Free for Friends of Streicker
Shifting Landscapes:
The Torah’s Way, The Artist’s Way
In the first semester of this year-long journey, we will traverse shifting landscapes to explore stories of transformation—of home, exile and return; of breaking and becoming; of hiddenness and emergence—through the lenses of Torah, Midrash and the individual artist’s creativity.
We will follow the arc of creation, the exile from Eden, Jacob’s night of wrestling, the hidden courage of Esther, the fire that burns but does not consume, the sea that splits and saves, among other stories. Alongside these ancient narratives, we’ll delve into the inner world of the artist: the beginner’s mind, the honing of craft, flow, the role of chaos and the risks of destruction.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS’ BEIT MIDRASH
For a quarter century, the Artists’ Beit Midrash has been a space for reflection, exploration and the sacred act of creation using holy texts, rabbis’ narratives and individual creativity. This group is open both to those who have never studied texts before and those deeply invested in study.
OFFERED ONLINE
Skirball Academy General Information
Sponsored by: Nancy, David and Jonathan Goldhill in memory of their mother, Barbara C. Freedman
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.
Rabbanit Leah Sarna is the Associate Director of Education and Director of High School Programs at Drisha. She previously served as Director of Religious Engagement at Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation in Chicago, a leading urban Orthodox congregation. She was ordained at Yeshivat Maharat in 2018, holds a BA from Yale University in Philosophy & Psychology, and also trained at the SKA Beit Midrash for Women at Migdal Oz, Drisha and the Center for Modern Torah Leadership.
Rabbanit Sarna’s published works have appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Lehrhaus and the Jewish Review of Books. She has lectured in Jewish communal settings around the world and loves spreading her warm, energetic love for Torah and Mitzvot with Jews in all stages of life.