On January 15, 2008, Kol Isha was joined by "It's a Girl Thing" 8th and 9th graders for discussion and learning.  The young women, regular participants in a monthly dinner discussion with Rabbi Manewith, also shared their closing ritual, which Kol Isha found meaningful and will be adopting. It's a Girl Thing was originally organized around the concept of Rosh Chodesh, celebrating the new month, and their closing ritual reflects wishes for the coming weeks.

At  January's gathering, small inter-generational groups of women (no men were present this month) read and discussed biblical passages, giving voice to one woman in each story. Each group created a visual midrash - a commentary, sometimes said to fill in the "white space" between the written story's black ink - using colored construction and tissue paper. Learning was much enriched by the participation of Maddie L., Sara Z. and Faith S.

Midrash-making brought additional life to Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel for those who developed the midrash and for those who learned it secondhand. The results of our inter-generational midrash-making are presented here - along with the text and questions, so you can discover more of the story on your own.

Sarah and Abraham

One group discussed Sarah and Abraham leaving Ur and establishing a new religious community.     Genesis 12:1-5

• How would you - Sarah -- feel?
  
• What would you say to Abram?
  
• What would you want to say to all of your friends?
  
• What would you want to say to God?   
  

In their midrashic response, Sarah asked God to tell Abraham to leave Ur, portrayed as a darker place filled with idols and idol-worship. Sarah's connection with Abraham was portrayed as a rainbow link centering in God. Their journey resulted in a new, brighter and more stable home and a line of many descendants.

Rebecca, Esau, Jacob, and Isaac

A second group focused on Rebecca learning that one son she carried would dominate the other and later helping Jacob to steal the blessing from Esau.      Genesis 25:21-28 and 27:1-19

• How do you  -- Rebecca -- feel?

• What would you want to say to Esau?

• What you want to say to Isaac?

In this response, Rebeca's lifelong conflict was portrayed as a two-sided tree - one darker side representing her feelings of guilt, weight, and sorrow, and a lighter side reflecting her knowledge that she was carrying out her measure of prophecy; neither side overshadowing the other, and each side growing in a different environment. A knot at the tree's center represented Rebecca's relationship to God.

Rachel, Jacob, Leah, and Laban

The third group portrayed Rachel after her co-marriage to Jacob, with her sister Leah.    Genesis 29:16-30

• How do you - Rachel -- feel?

• What would you want to say to your father?

• What would you want to say to Leah?

• What would you want to say to Jacob?

The visual response to this text Rachel as two women -- a public, polite and peaceful one, and a private, angry one. She showed the world a rather placid outside face - represented with blue. Her feelings about the way she was treated by her father and her sister and about losing/sharing the man she loved -- represented by another, angrier face -- were not shared with the world. The two separate faces show how Rachel was unable  to show parts of herself to the world.