Ever Heard of a Hebrew Priestess?
December 15th, 2017Rae AbileahKohenet, Beautiful TroubleRabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, MJS, MJEdCongregation Nevei Kodesh, Jewish Renewal of Boulder Jude (Yocheved) Landsman, MFAKohenet, Artist, ActivistHost: Barry ErdmanAbout The Presentation
A panel of local Kohanot – Hebrew Priestesses ordained by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute – will present and discuss the origins and practices of this renascent spiritual tradition, holder of a paradigm of earth-based, embodied, feminist Judaism.
Honoring the ancient near eastern Goddess cultures from which Judaism emerged, alongside a feminist re-reading of biblical and rabbinic Judaism, Kohenet offers a new model of Jewish spiritual leadership. Come hear a panel of three Kohanot (Hebrew Priestesses ordained by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute) who live in the Boulder area discuss the origins and practices of this renascent spiritual pathway toward an earth-based, embodied, feminist Judaism. Learn about this dynamic new approach which calls upon feminine expressions of the Divine, blends the ancient with the post-modern, and calls forth authentic ritual for the times we are living in. This session will coincide with the middle of the eight days of Chanukah, and in addition to the talk, the priestesses will offer a brief, creative morning ritual to start your day with gratitude and wonder.
About the Presenters
Kohenet Rae Abileah is a ritual artist, a social change strategist, and an advocate for economic, environmental, and racial justice. She is a trainer at Beautiful Trouble (www.beautifultrouble.org) and co-creator of the global Climate Ribbon (www.theclimateribbon.org) interactive art installation. She is a contributing author to Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution; Beyond Tribal Loyalties: Personal Stories of Jewish Peace Activists; Sisters Singing: Blessings, Prayers, Art, Songs, Poetry and Sacred Stories By Women; and Siddur HaKohanot: A Hebrew Priestess Prayerbook. She graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University in 2004 with a dual degree in Environmental Science and Human Rights and was ordained as a Kohenet Hebrew Priestess in 2014. She lives in Nederland, CO.
Rabbi and Kohenet Sarah Bracha Gershuny was ordained by the rabbinical school of Hebrew College in 2012, and by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute in 2014. She now serves as the spiritual leader of Congregation Nevei Kodesh, the Jewish Renewal community of Boulder founded by Rabbi Tirzah Firestone. A musician, writer and teacher by nature, Sarah Bracha is skilled at building community and connection, and at facilitating transformative spiritual experience.
Kohenet Jude (Yocheved) Landsman began her academic studies at Cornell University. She went on to complete her BA in Dance at Naropa University and an MFA in Dance at CU Boulder. Yocheved was also a PhD student in Sustainability Education at Prescott College. She is a member of Congregation Bonai Shalom and is ordained as a Kohenet, a contemporary Hebrew priestess trained for spiritual leadership. As a Kohenet, Yocheved teaches on the Feminine Divine in Judaism, works for peace, and leads life-cycle rituals. She is a long-term Boulder activist for social justice, and has worked for peace and reconciliation around the Israeli/Palestinian conflict since 2004, facilitating local dialogue circles. As the mother of two bi-racial children, born and raised in Boulder, she has particular interest in raising awareness, compassion, and providing justice for people of color in Colorado.