Interfaith program blends scripture, study, art to commemorate tragedy

Aug. 2 Program Is Fruit of Two Other Successful Series

August 1, 2016 By Francesca Norsen Tate Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Rabbi Seth Wax is pictured speaking at Mount Sinai’s Yom HaShoah observance in May. Eagle Photo by Francesca N. Tate

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The Jewish and Christian tradition each have commemorations that acknowledge loss and tragedy, such as the upcoming Tisha B’Av, which is the most sorrowful day of the Jewish calendar. One way that mourners have found to express sorrow is through art.

Exploring creativity as an outlet for loss and destruction may seem counter-intuitive to some, but it is one way in which therapists help people work through their grief.

On Tuesday, Aug. 2, the community is invited to participate in Lev v’Yad Art Bet Midrash & Interfaith Scripture study titled “On the Heels of Destruction—A Jewish and a Christian Look into the Book of Lamentations” at Congregation Mount Sinai, 250 Cadman Plaza West. Rabbis Seth Wax and Sara Zacharia and Rev. Jane Huber will hold an interfaith reading of the biblical Book of Lamentations and will explore how art-making can help mourners from suffering to healing.

“The study with art and the interfaith Scripture study are two separate programs…that we’re bringing together for Tisha B’Av,” said Rabbi Wax.

Mount Sinai, Plymouth Church and sometimes Dawood Mosque have joined forces for other Scriptural studies over the past couple of years.

But Rabbi Wax has also been part of Art Bet Midrash, a program in which people study Jewish texts and then respond with art. This project became a partnership between him and Rabbi Zacharia. The Aug. 2 Lamentations study “brings both of those programs together,” he said.

“We collect the art supplies and people can respond in whatever media they like — written word, paintings and drawings to express issues they see in the text.”

“We became natural partners. My hope and dream is to find a Muslim group as well that will be willing to come and do some text study. We have interfaith study between Jews and Christians, and we want to expand this to the Muslim community,” added Rabbi Zacharia.

Likewise, Rabbi Wax said that he and Rabbi Zacharia “will be working with other groups, including Base Brooklyn, later this year on additional art bet midrash programs.”

Plymouth Church’s Interim Assistant Minister, the Rev. Dr. Jane Huber, explained, “We are going to be looking at the Book of Lamentations because of the upcoming holiday of Tisha B’Av in the Jewish calendar. And we’re asking the question: ‘In this time of loss and movement towards unity in our own culture, how do our traditions and our sacred texts help us understand the period of tragedy we are witness to?’” Huber said that the study will be devoted to that one question.

“It’s a weighty question and a weighty time,” she added.

This Art Bet Midrash/Scripture study, which Plymouth Church and Congregation Mount Sinai are co-sponsoring, is also made possible by a grant from UJA-Federation. Tuesday’s event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. The suggestion donation is $10.