Brandeis’ Mistabra Institute
Presents Chanukah: Dedicating Inner Fire
By Susie Davidson
Advocate Correspondent
WALTHAM - The Chanukah themes of sacred space, spiritual rededication and military amd political power will be brought to life next Thursday at Brandeis in the Mistabra Institute presentation Chanukah: Dedicating Inner Fire.
Produced by the Women’s Studies Research Center’s
Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism, the multidimensional work, to
be performed by Institute Director Bonna Devora Haberman, dramatist Steven
Lewis, and violinist Yael Shifra Bat-Shimon, will feature puppet performance,
music and prayer.
“Dedicating Inner Fire is a text study performance event
that takes traditional biblical and rabbinic texts off the page,” said Haberman.
Mistabra has pioneered the field of Jewish textual activism, which
integrates the study of primary Jewish texts with the arts and important social
justice issues. “Mistabra’s method of text study,” she said,
“moves fluidly between the written page and contemporary life, where each
transforms and fortifies the other.”
The Institute conducts Boston-area textual activism seminars for adult Jewish leaders and educators. Currently, they are working with members of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, Temple Beth Israel in Waltham, Temple Aliyah in Needham, Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, and Congregation Dorshei Tzedek in Newton. Other initiatives include a Jewish-Muslim textual activism women’s collaborative, a text-art collaborative, a partnership with the Creative Beit Midrash in Haifa, and two holiday-based text-art-activism programs, Unmasking the Fast of Esther and this work, Chanukah: Dedicating Inner Fire.
"Dedicating Inner Fire" was created by Haberman, and
Lewis, dramatist and program developer at Mistabra. The musical score for solo
violin was composed by Yael Shifra Bat-Shimon.
“We interpose the historical and Israeli military stories of
Chanukah,” said Haberman, “with the rabbinic miracle version about
inner human resources to brighten dark hours. Today, Jewish identity itself is
at stake, as is our relationship to Israel, our Land.”
Haberman, who holds a doctorate in Philosophy and Education from
the University of London, England, has taught on the faculty of the Harvard
University Divinity School, the Brandeis University Department of Near Eastern
and Judaic Studies, and Hebrew College of Brookline. She is a Resident Scholar
at the Women’s Studies Research Center.
Lewis holds a BA in Theater from Brown University, and an MA in
Environmental Science from UC Berkeley. He has worked in community theater as
an educator and activist in California and the Boston area.
Bat-Shimon, who received a BA from Harvard in Literature and an MA
in Jewish Studies from Hebrew College, studied violin solo performance in Paris
with Miriam Solovieff. She also studied violin performance and contemporary
improvisation at the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore and at the New
England Conservatory.
“Through passionate musical interpretation of Jewish
texts,” remarked Haberman, “Yael aspires to transform suffering to
beauty and transmit ‘a glimpse of the Eternal’."
“For Bonna,” added Program Developer Lisa Exler,
“Mistabra is really the integration of years as a Jewish academic and
activist.”
Tickets for the 7 p.m. Dec. 5 show are $50, and support the
innovative work of the Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism. For
further information, call 781-736-2173, email Mistabra@brandeis.edu or visit www.brandeis.edu/~mistabra.
(781) 736-2173
Thank you so much for your interest in covering Mistabra's
Chanukah event! I'm happy to give you some information on my Jewish background
and how I came to be involved in Mistabra., and I think it would be best if you
and she could have a conversation about it so that you get the full picture. I
would be happy to join the conversation as well. Perhpas we could set up a time
to meet at your convenience. Blessings,
Lisa
From: "mistabra"
<mistabra@brandeis.edu>
Subject:
Chanukah: Dedicating Inner Fire - Press Release
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002
15:24:10 -0500
Dear Susie,
Nancy Vineberg from HIRIJW gave me your name and said that you
often write stories, covering their events. I am attaching a press release
about Chanukah:
Dedicating Inner Fire, an exciting and provocative Chanukah
program created and performed by the Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual
Activism.
With blessings,
Lisa Exler
Project Developer
Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism
Women's Studies Research Center
Brandeis University
Phone: 781 736 2173 Fax: 781 736 8117
www.brandeis.edu/~mistabra
From: "mistabra"
<mistabra@brandeis.edu> |
Subject: Re:
Chanukah: Dedicating Inner Fire - Press Release
The Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism of Brandeis
University will perform Chanukah: Dedicating Inner Fire at the Women’s
Studies Research Center at Brandeis University (515 South Street, Waltham) on
Thursday, December 5 at 7:00 pm.
Mistabra’s Chanukah: Dedicating Inner Fire at Brandeis
University will be performed by Bonna Devora Haberman, Steven Lewis, and
violinist Yael Shifra Bat-Shimon. Tickets are $50 and support the
groundbreaking work of the Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism.
Dedicating Inner Fire is a text study performance event that takes
traditional biblical and rabbinic texts off the page through dramatic and
puppet performance, music, and prayer.
Dedicating Inner Fire delves into Chanukah themes of sacred space,
spiritual rededication and military/political power.
The Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism, based at the
Women’s Studies Research Center of Brandeis University, was founded and
is directed by Bonna Devora Haberman.
Bonna Devora Haberman, Director Mistabra USA
From: "mistabra"
<mistabra@brandeis.edu>
Bonna
Here is an exerpt from the script:
B: Chanuka always comes when the days are dark and short.
We celebrate throwing out enemies.
S: and throwing out enemies we welcomed more enemies.
More blood. More death.
B: It’s not easy. Shammai suggests that we organize rituals
to correspond to the animals we once offered in the Holy Temple.
S: You mean sacrificed on the altar?
B: Given as a gift on the sacred table! On this table!
S: Slaughtered, dissected, drained their blood?
B: (exasperated) To serve God!!
S: Homicide came from sacrifice to God.
When God didn’t accept his gift, Cain was so jealous of his
brother.
He killed Abel.
Our own hands are stained with blood.
The same dark cycle that twice brought on the destruction of
Jerusalem clouds us.
B: We need nothing less than a miracle!!