WHAT: What will a rabbi do in this fellowship?
Rabbis from around the world:
Learn a Torah portion with an accomplished artist
The rabbi-artist pair meet at least twice over zoom to prepare, then once more for a final presentation – the artist presents an artwork while the rabbi presents a sermon. It is called an “Articulation,” from the words “art” and “articulate.”
The rabbi will compose a sermon. The writing process is meant to be a nourishing, refreshing, and creative approach to traditional Torah learning.
The rabbi should should freely interpret the text, either with traditional or novel interpretation. Thus the goal is not to prove scholarliness. Rather, the goal is to re-imagine the text and its meaning thanks to the influence of the conversations that were shared and the free-spirit of creative interpretation.
It is the Rabbi’s choice if the sermon is about the same topic as the artist’s art piece or if it addresses a different topic that emerged from the learning.
It is precisely the meeting of two disciplines that leads to stronger discourse. Together, the artist and rabbi work through important theological and spiritual questions that emerge from the Biblical text and support each other in the creative journey.
It is a natural and expected outcome that each is moved by the other’s perspective: both the rabbi and the artist leave the silo of their discipline and are invited into each other’s view.
The rabbi-chevruta pair is encouraged to invite their congregation, family, and friends to the zoom.
Upon the completion of the year’s cohort, all rabbi-chevruta pairs will come together one last time for the end of the year Color Commentary Art Gallery. Here too, the artist and rabbi share a highlight of their learning and reflect on the experience of creating innovative work together.
This fellowship is open to rabbis around the world; all required fellowship activities happen over zoom. The fellowship is also open to rabbis across the denominational spectrum to ensure that the meeting of minds brings out the rich multiplicity of Jewish perspective and experience.
Note that Rabbis might be paired with an artist with extensive or limited Jewish knowledge and background.
HOW: How will we promote your Torah?
The Institute will also promote the Rabbi’s sermon on several social media outlets:
Instagram
Facebook
The Institute’s weekly email
The Institute’s website
The Institute will distribute the artwork to The Amen Network, a collection of over 40 synagogues across North America who have committed to sharing the artist’s artwork with their communities.
A Sefaria source sheet
WHY: Why is it called the “Ore’ach Fellowship”?
The word “Ore’ach” in Hebrew means “guest.” It is our hope that being a guest in an artists’ proverbial studio (over zoom) can awaken Torah insights that can only be found when approaching a familiar text through another discipline’s lens.
Additionally, the Hebrew letters in אורח are an acronym for אומנות - ורבנות - חברותא meaning, “art-rabbinics-chevruta,” hence the acronym, אור״ח.
Finally, there are two puns in the word Or’each – one in English and the other in Hebrew.
In English – this O-reach [outreach] initiative will collapse barriers otherwise preventing encounters, enabling true chevruta: friendship.
In Hebrew – this innovative format will add dimensionality and full sensorial immersion through color, light, and texture; “אור” meaning “light” and “ריח” meaning “scent” [Ohr Reyach]. The Torah learning that the rabbi does with the artist should be etched upon their heart and forever change their imagined scope about what can be contained within the Torah.
WHAT WE BELIEVE:
Whereas most rabbinic learning is done strictly through textual analysis, this fellowship encourages you to expand contours of your neshama by learning Torah with a professional artist. We at the Amen Institute envision a space where the Torah’s wisdom is in conversation with art – in all of its subversive, clever, and poignant resonance – thereby touching the mind and the heart. While the experience of the artist in these encounters have largely been one of grounding and deepening in knowledge, the rabbi’s is often one of expansion and discovery.
Your chevruta learning will result in the creation of a new type of Torah; your expertise in Torah and their expertise in art will help you both create art informed by Torah, and Torah formed in art. And your Torah proficiency will guide the artist as they explore introspectively and eisegetically with the intention of creating an art piece inspired by your studies together.