{"id":56224,"date":"2017-03-16T08:38:13","date_gmt":"2017-03-16T13:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=56224"},"modified":"2017-03-22T11:17:12","modified_gmt":"2017-03-22T16:17:12","slug":"empowering-orthodox-women-art-creativity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/empowering-orthodox-women-art-creativity\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Orthodox Women through Art and Creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"
Credit: Elisheva Golani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For its tenth anniversary year, ATARA (The Association for Torah and the Arts) held its annual Creative and Performing Arts Convention for Women in Baltimore, MD over the first weekend in March. The first time hosted by a Jewish community outside of<\/p>\n

New York or New Jersey, professional musicians, dancers, theater artists, filmmakers, creative writers and visual artists from cities throughout North America convened for performances, workshops, lectures and a Shabbaton in order to integrate arts expression with Torah values.<\/p>\n

Created in 2008 by Miriam Leah Gamliel, who studied and performed musical theater before becoming observant, she began producing work in women-only settings, eventually working towards ATARA. It grew exponentially with programs serving a community of Torah observant artists, who flocked to the group to promote their work and share inspiration. Their networks continue through yearly conferences, monthly newsletters, an active Facebook group and website that promotes and facilitates performing arts and educational opportunities for hundreds of women, mostly in the US and Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cATARA is serving people from across the Jewish world in multiple cities with multiple abilities,\u201d says Gamliel. She explains that\u00a0their events are much more than just open mics \u2013 the professional three hour performance Saturday<\/span> night drew hundreds at Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore that showcased over 25 observant female songwriters, vocalists, musicians and dancers for an uplifting evening of original music and choreography. Artist boutiques sold art prints, books, and women-only music and DVDs in the lobby.<\/p>\n

“The goal is to make arts expression and creativity as a frum Jew completely the norm,” Gamliel explains. “Observant artists are serving G-d just like any other frum Jew, but our abilities in the arts compel us to communicate through music, dance, theater, film or visual creations.”<\/p>\n

The weekend launched Thursday with an intimate, elegant evening of classical music modeled on the 19 century salon of the late Jewish salonni\u00e8re Sara Levy. Instrumental and opera performances featured both local and guest musicians who played piano, flute, cello and violin.<\/p>\n

Fraidel Leah Kletter, a pianist who performed at the ATARA classical concert last year and provided input in this year\u2019s classical concert, has helped defined ATARA’s goals as \u201can organization of great value.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact perhaps it can draw women into Torah Judaism,\u201d Kletter explains.\u00a0\u201cThey can see that being frum means enhancing your artistic gift. It is an integral part of our observance, we’re supposed to “imitate” HaShem, the ultimate is to create, and the arts are about creating\u2026 This is part of our avodah. HaShem gave us a yearning for something and we’re not supposed to ignore it and step on it, we have to develop and share it\u00a0because the arts can deeply touch and move ourselves and others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over Shabbat, community leaders spoke about the role of music and arts in Jewish life. Rebbetzin Dahlia Topolosky of Congregation Beth Joshua\u00a0in Rockville, MD, led a women\u2019s musical Kabbalat Shabbat with Carlebach melodies and at the closing Shabbat ceremony led a musical havdalah kumsitz with her guitar.<\/p>\n

By the artist’s dinner Friday<\/span> night, Rebbetzin Topolosky spoke about the \u201cThe Power of Niggun\u201d in her journey of finding meaning in Judaism, and after Shabbat lunch gave an in-depth shiur on the sources of music in the Torah.<\/p>\n

Another \u201crebbetzin with a guitar,\u201d Chavi Epstein, co-director\u00a0of Chabad of South Carolina and founder of the \u201cniggun workshop seminar,\u201d spoke on \u201cServing Hashem with Pleasure and Delight.” Sunday<\/span> morning she gave a workshop on the power of niggun to heal and open the soul while she sang and taught the tunes accompanied on her guitar.<\/p>\n

Following Shabbat dinner were performances by the \u201ckosher mime,\u201d Stella Filler from San Francisco, followed by interactive improv theater activities, including Playback Theater led by Amy Guterson, director of Pittsburgh\u2019s Tzohar Seminary for Chassidus in the Arts, whose students performed throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n

The keynote presenter by Shabbat Dinner, Robin Garbose, Artistic Director and founder of Kol Neshama Performing Arts Conservatory for girls and a film, theater and TV director, shared her groundbreaking journey creating three feature films (\u201cA Light for Greytowers,\u201d \u201cThe Heart That Sings\u201d and \u201cOperation Candlelight\u201d), intended for audiences of women and girls.\u00a0While there was initial controversy over the concept, the films were\u00a0ultimately screened\u00a0and drew\u00a0packed audiences. Garbose stressed the need for women\u2019s art in the larger world and gave workshops on screenwriting and directing.<\/p>\n

Garbose\u2019s latest adventure film, \u201cOperation Candlelight\u201d was screened Sunday night at the ATARA conference along with the first episode of Leah Gottfried\u2019s hit web series “Soon By You,” about modern orthodox dating. Gottfried trained by Garbose\u2019s performing arts camp and produced \u201cOperation Candlelight\u201d; the two joined a panel discussion on frum filmmaking.<\/p>\n

Composer, singer and performer, Franciska Kay (a.k.a. Freydie Kosman) performed at the concert Motzei Shabbat, which was emceed by Leslie Ginsparg of Girls Night On Baltimore and comedienne Elana Greenspan. Kay creates her masterpieces by weaving eternal words of prayer into soulful guitar melodies, accompanied by visually appealing music videos on stage. Raised in religious school and in musical academy, Kay\u2019s compositions reflect her commitment to bridging both worlds.<\/p>\n

“I am so happy I heard about ATARA with just enough time to produce the first ATARA dance collaboration music video to the Mitzvah song from my second album,\u201d Kay says. \u201cSeventeen artists from all over Israel and North America contributing to this video really brought us all together in a very beautiful way. Being together with so many of my fellow Jewish artists was inspiring and gratifying. I think this initiative is so crucial to developing us female artists as a team and joining together to support each other and create opportunities.”<\/p>\n

Sunday morning\u2019s Yom Iyun for the arts included an impressive array of workshops and master classes in acting, voice, dance and writing by professional, observant arts educators. It was followed by a matinee performance in Bnos Yisroel\u2019s magnificent synagogue sanctuary, featuring opera, classical voice, music ensembles\u00a0and women\u2019s orchestra. The concert included Gamliel singing musical theater, The Baltimore Women’s Orchestra with clarinet\u00a0soloist Rivki Silver and Baltimore\u2019s premiere women’s band Ayelet HaShachar, featuring three Orthodox women on piano, guitar and vocals.<\/p>\n

Gamliel\u2019s driven to communicate the importance and value of the arts for frum Jews. \u201c\u201cMy original vision was to bring like-minded artists together for chizuk and inspiration, and in the early years, simply for the chance to perform,\u201d she says. \u201cNow, 10 years later, the frum arts world has really grown. Its less about having performance opportunities – there are way more now than there were a decade ago – but more so to continue to mechazek<\/em> observant people to develop their gifts, because they come from Hashem. Every Jew owes it to Hashem to reach their greatest potential, and if that potential lies in a field of the arts, then this is a gift that can make our community happier and more enriched, and the Torah more beautiful.”<\/p>\n

Interested in finding a summer program for young Orthodox women interested in the arts? Check out Camp Maor, an amazing opportunity through NCSY.\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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