The Making of Art & Soul

By COLlive reporter

The Rosh Chodesh Society has launched its ground-breaking course exploring Judaism’s insights into the arts and living more creatively and deeply.

Art & Soul, a new seven-session learning series for women, will be featured and taught in over 200 Chabad locations across the globe as part of the women’s division of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI).

It draws upon Jewish wisdom on seven art forms – painting, music, literature/storytelling, dance, architecture, fashion design, and the culinary arts – to gain a deeper appreciation of the inner dynamics of these art forms and applying them to enhance daily lives.

“Art is not only for artists. Art is a way of seeing the world,” says RCS Director Mrs. Shaindy Jacobson. “This course touches on some of the most fundamental questions of our lives: What is beauty? How do we access our deepest held convictions? How do we tap into the creative spark that lies within each of us?”

Authored by the noted writer Rabbi Yanki Tauber, the course is designed to be taught once per month for seven consecutive months.

Set to unite thousands of Jewish women the world over in Torah study, it was created with a special emphasis on capturing the minds and hearts of women of all ages and varied backgrounds.

“We are fascinated by artists. Their work embodies what we all want our lives to be: beautiful, meaningful, and purposeful,” says Laura Stein, an RCS student from the Greater New York area. “This course will challenge us to think deeply about the way we see ourselves and the world, teaching us how to ‘live creatively’.”

“What a wonderful and unique opportunity these classes provide: the experience of joining thousands of our sisters around the globe, studying the same passages, examining the same culture, internalizing the same take-home messages… And to think that this is taking place in 200 locations around the world at the same time! Indeed, this is ‘creative Jewish living’.”, shares Elena Moore, an RCS student, who’s very successful position finds her traveling around the world.

“I’m so amazed and grateful that I can attend these classes in many of the cities I visit, regardless of where I happen to be globetrotting. Thank you to the Rosh Chodesh Society, and kudos to each of you Chabad Rebbetzins who makes this possible. You are always there to remind me that no matter what I do, or where I do it, my first line of identity is that I am a Jewish woman.”

The Rosh Chodesh Society lauds its instructors, the incredibly dedicated Shluchos of the Rebbe, who facilitate, drive, and bring its courses to life. “The most superbly crafted, cutting-edge curriculum in the world is only as effective as its results,” says Mrs. Jacobson.

“Our instructors, the Rebbe’s Shluchos, have succeeded in creating lasting positive change in the lives of those they touch through Torah study. They are truly the heart and soul of the Rosh Chodesh Society.”

VIDEO: The making of the Art & Soul cover by Estee Klein

The Rosh Chodesh Society is an international Jewish sisterhood that aims to connect, empower, and inspire Jewish women through monthly Jewish learning and cultural experiences.

For more information on Art & Soul, and to be a part of this beautiful initiative, please visit roshchodeshsociety.com.

For information about attending this course in Crown Heights, contact Beis Medrash Women’s Circle at [email protected] or the RCS local Instructor Mrs. Sara Blau at [email protected].