A Call to Artists, from a Rabbinical Believer in Indianapolis following an interfaith day of Art
INDIANAPOLIS HEBREW CONGREGATION
By Rabbi Nadia Siritsky, LCSW, BCC
Genesis 12: And the Lord said to Abram- go forth from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land I will show you… And you shall be a blessing…
These ancient words, written so long ago, preserved in the Hebrew Bible, continue to speak to us to this very day. Art is one of the most important and central ways that we can bring words of scripture to life. Art connects us as humans in a way that nothing else can, and allows us to transcend all that we know, and all that divides us, in order to connect with the Infinite One who is beyond words.
Today, we have been blessed to learn and grow together. In a sense, we have lived out these words, by going forth from all that we know, to explore together all that we can be… and in so doing, to be a blessing.
And while, this whole day has been, in itself, an embodiment of this verse from Genesis, I would like to share the experience of midrash in a more concrete way. Midrash is a modern rewriting or artistic rendering of ancient biblical text to help us to experience its message in a new way.
Let us first envision what these words might mean to us in our own day. Let’s all stop, take a deep breath, close our eyes, and allow ourselves to hear these words, not as ancient words uttered to someone else, but as words that are being spoken to us… now…
God says to me: go forth from your land, your birthplace, your father's house, to the land that I will show you...and I will bless you; your name shall be a blessing.
And now, like Abram, we need to take that first step, leaving behind our past, all that we know… let go of our old patterns, our old fears, our limits that we were taught to accept before we even understood our potential… everything that builds a wall against creativity, against God, against those we love. Abram’s first step into blessing was to venture forth, on his own, to find his own voice, and to take the risks that needed to be taken.
The first step was to let go and to allow himself to fully know himself. He had to express his truth and then venture forth- alone- and allow himself to be fully seen.
Was Abram scared? How often are we also scared to share our truths with others? To be honest about who we are, how we feel, what we believe? If we allow ourselves to be seen, then we allow ourselves to be hurt. To be judged. To be rejected. But we also open the door to feel joy. To feel love. To live more fully.
And is this not the task of every artist: to pour heart and soul and spirit into his work of art, and risk everything to show it to the world? Is this not our task as well? In everything we do?
Allowing ourselves to be wholly seen feels dangerous. We worry about how others will respond...
But when we choose courage, and we choose not to hide, and we choose to risk everything by speaking our truth, and expressing our own unique understanding of this vast Universe and the Spirit that pervades all, then we truly do become a blessing.
God is calling us forward… to go forth unto ourselves and to become the person we are meant to be. Scripture reveals our ancestors even with their faults; and so, we are given permission to be ourselves and to let go of our fears and simply be.
This is the work of the artist. This is the work of life. And it is hard work. But the Hebrew word for work (Avodah) is the same word as worship. When we invest ourselves fully in whatever we do- be it art, or be it life, then we are engaged in worship.
Art reminds us how to be. It gives us wings and teaches us how to soar. It reconnects us with who we are, before we ever knew that we were.
The task of learning to be ourselves- who we were created to be- is never ending. We are always in the process of becoming… however hard it may be to leave, to risk, to dream… this is also how we grow and create and simply be… For indeed, Genesis reminds us that God is always calling us forth to be a blessing.
FIRST STEP (LECH LECHA) by Rachel Barenblat
It's not going to be easy.
All of your roadmaps are wrong.
That was another country:
those lakes have dried up
and new groundwater is welling
in places you won't expect.
You'll begin the journey in fog
destination unknown, impossible.
Don't be surprised by tears.
This right here is holy ground.
Take a deep breath and turn away
from cynicism and despair
listen to the voice from on high
and deep within, the one that says
I'm calling you to a place
which I will show you
and take the first small step
into the surprising sun.
By Rabbi Nadia Siritsky, LCSW, BCC
Genesis 12: And the Lord said to Abram- go forth from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land I will show you… And you shall be a blessing…
These ancient words, written so long ago, preserved in the Hebrew Bible, continue to speak to us to this very day. Art is one of the most important and central ways that we can bring words of scripture to life. Art connects us as humans in a way that nothing else can, and allows us to transcend all that we know, and all that divides us, in order to connect with the Infinite One who is beyond words.
Today, we have been blessed to learn and grow together. In a sense, we have lived out these words, by going forth from all that we know, to explore together all that we can be… and in so doing, to be a blessing.
And while, this whole day has been, in itself, an embodiment of this verse from Genesis, I would like to share the experience of midrash in a more concrete way. Midrash is a modern rewriting or artistic rendering of ancient biblical text to help us to experience its message in a new way.
Let us first envision what these words might mean to us in our own day. Let’s all stop, take a deep breath, close our eyes, and allow ourselves to hear these words, not as ancient words uttered to someone else, but as words that are being spoken to us… now…
God says to me: go forth from your land, your birthplace, your father's house, to the land that I will show you...and I will bless you; your name shall be a blessing.
And now, like Abram, we need to take that first step, leaving behind our past, all that we know… let go of our old patterns, our old fears, our limits that we were taught to accept before we even understood our potential… everything that builds a wall against creativity, against God, against those we love. Abram’s first step into blessing was to venture forth, on his own, to find his own voice, and to take the risks that needed to be taken.
The first step was to let go and to allow himself to fully know himself. He had to express his truth and then venture forth- alone- and allow himself to be fully seen.
Was Abram scared? How often are we also scared to share our truths with others? To be honest about who we are, how we feel, what we believe? If we allow ourselves to be seen, then we allow ourselves to be hurt. To be judged. To be rejected. But we also open the door to feel joy. To feel love. To live more fully.
And is this not the task of every artist: to pour heart and soul and spirit into his work of art, and risk everything to show it to the world? Is this not our task as well? In everything we do?
Allowing ourselves to be wholly seen feels dangerous. We worry about how others will respond...
But when we choose courage, and we choose not to hide, and we choose to risk everything by speaking our truth, and expressing our own unique understanding of this vast Universe and the Spirit that pervades all, then we truly do become a blessing.
God is calling us forward… to go forth unto ourselves and to become the person we are meant to be. Scripture reveals our ancestors even with their faults; and so, we are given permission to be ourselves and to let go of our fears and simply be.
This is the work of the artist. This is the work of life. And it is hard work. But the Hebrew word for work (Avodah) is the same word as worship. When we invest ourselves fully in whatever we do- be it art, or be it life, then we are engaged in worship.
Art reminds us how to be. It gives us wings and teaches us how to soar. It reconnects us with who we are, before we ever knew that we were.
The task of learning to be ourselves- who we were created to be- is never ending. We are always in the process of becoming… however hard it may be to leave, to risk, to dream… this is also how we grow and create and simply be… For indeed, Genesis reminds us that God is always calling us forth to be a blessing.
FIRST STEP (LECH LECHA) by Rachel Barenblat
It's not going to be easy.
All of your roadmaps are wrong.
That was another country:
those lakes have dried up
and new groundwater is welling
in places you won't expect.
You'll begin the journey in fog
destination unknown, impossible.
Don't be surprised by tears.
This right here is holy ground.
Take a deep breath and turn away
from cynicism and despair
listen to the voice from on high
and deep within, the one that says
I'm calling you to a place
which I will show you
and take the first small step
into the surprising sun.
