Culture

Heshbon HaNefesh: A Poetic Accounting of a Pandemic Year

This week, Jewschool will be posting sample poems from Heshbon HaNefesh, an upcoming series of poetry readings on Zoom and Clubhouse. Here’s more about the project how to join the live events. 

In the last year, humans across the world underwent a transformative experience, unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes.

As we begin to transition to a new post-pandemic reality:

  • What might be gained from communal reflection on our experiences and learnings from the last months?
  • What, if anything, does Jewish thought teach us about our experiences?
  • Can great artists of our time enlighten and inspire us, in light of what we have gone through?

March 11, 2021 marks a year since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Jewish poets and liturgists from across the world have assembled to share their work, to help us sit with and integrate our experiences of the past year.

The planned poetic intervention represents a Heshbon HaNefesh– a soul-accounting- by which we can better understand where we have been, where we are now, and where we may yet go.

RSVP on Facebook, or read on for how to attend.

Join us on Thursday March 11, morning or evening, at this zoom link, or Friday on Clubhouse. 

Thursday 3/11 Morning: Zoom
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Pacific / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern
  • Featuring readings from: Marietta Brill, Todd Friedman, Esteban Gottfried, Jared Harel, Rachel Kann, Chaya Kaplan-Lester, Julia Knobloch, Josh Krug, Yehoshua November, Alicia Jo Rabins, Michael Ruby, Julie Sugar
Thursday 3/11 Evening: Zoom
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM Eastern
  • Featuring readings from: Marietta Brill, Elana Brody, Sarah Chandler, Menachem Creditor, Erika Dreifus, Laura-Eve Engel, Esteban Gottfried, Jared Harel, Chaya Kaplan-Lester, Rachel Kann, Julia Knobloch, Josh Krug, Alicia Jo Rabins, Michael Ruby
Friday 3/12 Midday: Clubhouse
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific/ 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern

This showcase of work on that platform will also facilitate reflection on the meanings and implications of this poetry going forward.

This event is hosted by @ZoomLehrhaus, an initiative of Opening Doors: a collective of seekers who mine texts for wisdom, a time to explore sources and human questions, and a space to consider values in learning community.

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