SYNAGOGUE & CHURCH SERVICES

SHABBAT SERVICES and JEWISH HOLIDAY PROGRAMS IN LITURGAL AND EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS:

Avodah has a long tradition of integrating dance into synagogue services. Avodah’s performance breathe freshness into traditional services and bring the community of worshippers together in a new and exciting way.

NOW BOOKING! The Shabbat Project:  An intergenerational, community art project honoring the ritual of rest and contemplation through dance, text, percussion and storytelling. Invite Avodah to your community center, church or synagogue for a series of workshops for all ages. Community participants, guided by Avodah dancers and guest artists, will create movement, music, and storytelling vignettes that will culminate in a SHABBAT CELEBRATION PERFORMANCE and RITUAL for all members of your community/congregation.

Shabbat service
A sample program for Shabbat service may include:
1) L'hadlik Ner, a dance about Shabbat, light, and the ritual of candlelighting,
2) M'Chamocha, inspired by Biblical mention of Miriam and women celebrating after the parting of the Red Sea,
3) Hallelu, a celebratory dance based on Psalm 150, and
4) Hashkivenu, based on the prayer of the same name and the concepts of peace, protection, and shelter.

Avodah offers programs for synagogues and religious schools for Holocaust Memorial Day, Sukkoth, Selihot, Passover and Hannukah.

****On September 16, 2006, Avodah performed as part of a Selihot program at Temple Emanuel in Cherry Hill, NJ. As a special note, the newly appointed cantor at Temple Emanuel, Cantor Peter Halpern, had worked with JoAnne and Avodah in the early nineties to create the piece, “Selihot Suite.” With the expertise of Kezia Gleckman Hayman, Avodah re-staged the work for the September performance.

Dance Midrash/Textual study with dance
Avodah leads "Dance Midrash" sessions, a creative way of understanding text through movement explorations. These sessions present an alternate way of understanding sacred texts.

***On November 2nd, 2007, Julie Gayer led a Dance Midrash session at Congregation Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The session explored the torah portion V’ Chayei Sarah (specifically when Isaac meets Rebecca for the first time) and included volunteers from the congregation interpreting the text through movement. The very creative volunteers included two men and two women, one of whom was a rabbinical student.

***Avodah leads Dance Midrash sessions for rabbinical students at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City for Rabbi Norman Cohen’s Creating Modern Midrash class.

***On November 13th, 2006, Julie Gayer led a Dance Midrash session for the Women’s League of Conservative Judaism’s Conference, “Rehabilitating the Eishet Chayil” in Philadelphia.***

Interfaith Services
Because of the universal nature of the work created and performed by Avodah, our repertory and educational programs often work well in Interfaith Services. Some of Avodah’s repertory for these events include: “Mayim, A Ritual of Transformation,” “Blessing,” and “What Comes to Light,” expressing the universality of the image of light.