GIVING VOICE TO THE MATRIARCHS
with Dr. Jessica Litwak — Thursdays, 7-8:30 pm ET / 4-5:30 pm PT, NEW DATES! May 15, 22, 29 June 5, 12, 19, 26
Join playwright-performer-puppeteer Jessica Litwak for a creative exploration of the female characters from the Bible. In this seven-week, 90-minute course, participants will gain artistic tools to respond to the stories of the matriarchs and also engage in an in-depth study of the matriarchs through biblical texts, midrashic source sheets, popular culture, and interpretive art. The sessions will also feature Jessica sharing her own midrash through performance, guided meditations focused on the matriarchs, creative prompts, and time for reflection and creation, whether through writing, puppet building, drawing, dance, or other forms of artistic expression. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to connect with fellow coursemates outside of sessions on a dedicated platform.
Topics will include the Witch of Endor, Judith, Tamar, Eve and Lilith, Sarah and Hagar, Rachel and Leah, Miriam and Pharoah’s Daughter, Vashti and Esther, Michal, Batsheva, Sheba, Jezebel, Dahiya, and Zenobia, and contemporary matriarchs.
The class will be taught via Zoom and can also be accessed via phone. All sessions will be recorded; you can take the class even if the time block does not work for you. For financial assistance or scholarship opportunities, please reach out to liviah@beitkohenet.org.
Cost: $300 + $25 non-refundable registration fee
Dr. Jessica Litwak
Dr. Jessica Litwak is a recognized leader in the field of socially engaged theatre. She is an award-winning playwright, an actor, educator, puppet builder, a creative coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation, and a registered drama therapist accredited by the North American Drama Therapy Association. She is a trained practitioner of Playback, Psychodrama, and Theatre of the Oppressed. She is the Artistic Director of the H.E.A.T. Collective, which she founded to bring together the practices of healing, education, and activism through theatre. Litwak has a BFA in acting from NYU, an MFA in playwriting from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Theatre as Leadership and Change. Litwak is a core member of Theatre Without Borders and a Fulbright Scholar. She has served as faculty at institutions such as San Francisco State University, Columbia, NYU, Lesley University, Whitman College, Hollins, Naropa, The Theatre Academy at Los Angeles City College, Marymount, Stella Adler Academy. Internationally, she has regularly taught at Masaryk University (Czech Republic) and the International Director’s Symposium at La Mama Umbria (Italy).