With great excitement and anticipation, we announce a breakthrough in Jewish creativity and education: Jewish Creativity Training.
Why do we sing? Why do we dance? Why do we do anything creative? And what’s Jewish about it?
Jewish Creativity Training is a program / curriculum intended to present a uniquely Jewish approach to using our creative talents. Intended for Jews of all ages and affiliations, it explores the reasons, outlook, methodology and opportunities to make creativity a life-changing spiritual experience for the individual, and a primary way to bring awareness to the entire Jewish community.
Available as a series of training sessions, for individuals or groups, live or online, in schools (as a course given by authorized trainers, or as a curriculum) or as lectures and workshops, it will give everyone the opportunity, at last, to understand and express their creativity within a Jewish context and ideology. Each session comes with hands-on exercises intended to produce concrete results, no matter which talent is involved: music, arts, dramatics, literature, poetry, etc. The dynamics taught here are applicable to any creative endeavor.
The program consists of seven modules:
- Why We Need It – Why is creativity so important to Judaism and the Jewish community? What does Judaism say about it, and how can it enrich our lives as Jews and contribute to the richness of our culture and community life? How can it benefit students and adults?
- How It’s Different – Why can’t we just imitate the existing secular styles and aesthetics for Jewish creativity? What’s so fundamentally different about the Jewish approach? What are the dangers and pitfalls that must be avoided?
- Appreciating the Creation and Connecting to the Creator – Creativity begins with how we perceive our existence and how we relate to our Creator. What is the purpose of creativity; how does it help us to pursue our mission as Jews? Here we establish the basic orientation of how the creative individual views himself in the world, and what he intends to accomplish through using his talents.
- Emotional and Empathetic Transformation – Jewish Creativity involves the synthesis of intellect and emotions. It grows out of the experience of conflict to find a resolution which is uplifting and elevating. The resulting emotional transformation is both therapeutic and enlightening, for oneself and for others. We teach how to accomplish this through the Jewish understanding of emotion, and through empathy with Jews throughout history.
- The Tools – Here we discover the relationship of form and matter, the interaction of the spiritual and the physical. Creativity is about using the physical to reveal the spiritual behind it. All creation involves the manipulation of materials (sound, elements, words) to express an insight or emotion, and to elicit an emotional response that transcends the physical. This is made possible through the power of allusion and correspondence, which is only possible because of the ultimate unity of Creation. The Universe is our toolbox!
- The Creative Process – This is the climax of the course: a practical, step-by-step walkthrough of the Jewish creative process from concept to completion. Where to find inspiration, how to remove creative block, how to make the creative experience inspiring and enjoyable: all of this is covered, and more!
- Exploring the Possibilities – Here we discover the practical ways to use our talents within the Jewish world: what’s been done in the past, what’s being done now, and what can be done in the future. Can you make a living at it? Where are the opportunities? How to structure creativity into your life without letting it control you: all these essential questions are answered.
Jewish Creativity Training is almost ready for release. We are seeking approval from school boards to present it in schools in the US. We’re anxious to get your feedback: questions, suggestions, ideas. We also want to hear about whether you’d like to host a session at your school / home / shul, or if you’re interested in becoming an Authorized Trainer yourself. It will soon be one of the features of our new Tzfat Center for Jewish Creativity. Please contact us at info@nekudah.org and let’s talk!
Watch the Introduction to Jewish Creativity Training presentation.