Writing Poetic Midrash from the Book of Genesis

This event is free and open to all. Please consider making a donation to support our free programs and events from Ritualwell.

Want to add your voice to the rich tapestry of Jewish poetry that responds to sacred text? Midrash, the art of filling in the narrative gaps of sacred text, is an ancient practice that exemplifies the creativity of Jewish tradition. Over time, midrash has expanded to include many different art forms, including dance, drama, literature, theater, and the visual arts. Poetic midrash is a powerful tool for discovering and communicating meaning hidden in Torah and the Siddur. Join liturgist Alden Solovy in exploring and creating poetic midrash from Sefer Bereishit (the Book of Genesis). Alden will illustrate ideas of the poetic midrash with his own work and invite you to create your own. This session will include exploration, writing, and sharing.

Alden Solovy spreads joy and excitement for prayer. An American Israeli liturgist, lyricist, poet, author, and educator, Alden is the Liturgist-in-Residence for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Alden teaches prayer and spirituality throughout the world. Based in Jerusalem, his five solo books include This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day, This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings, and the newly released This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with Poetry and Prayer, all published by CCAR Press. A regular contributor to Ritualwell and a member of the Ritualwell Immersion faculty, his work is anthologized in more than 20 other volumes across the religious spectrum. Alden also contributes regularly to RavBlog, ReformJudaism.org, and the Times of Israel. He’s a three-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. Alden made aliyah to Jerusalem in 2012. See his work at www.tobendlight.com. Alden can be reached at alden@tobendlight.com.

About Ritualwell
Ritualwell is the most extensive online resource that curates original Jewish rituals for Jews and fellow seekers. We publish rituals, ceremonies, prayers and poems to mark sacred moments in Jewish life. Through creating and sharing rituals, hosting Ritualwell Immersions (online learning experiences), curating an online Judaica shop and hosting Rabbi Connect, Ritualwell fosters a supportive environment for Jewish creativity, spiritual growth and discovery. Learn more at www.ritualwell.org.

Ritualwell is committed to offering an accessible space to our community members. We commit to:

1. Providing participants with all the session materials ahead of time
2. Providing automated captions on all live sessions
3. Providing subtitles for all recorded sessions
4. Using the chat function and read it aloud during the sessions
5. Asking for participant accessibility needs and doing our best to accommodate them. Please feel welcome to contact us at ritualwell@reconstructingjudaism.org.