Lilith Unbound

For three thousand years, Lilith has refused to walk any path but her own.  From Mesopotamian myth to the Garden of Eden, from Jewish folklore to modern music and story, Lilith‘s voice still grows in power.  Vilified as a demon and a seductress, she has also been reclaimed as a potent symbol of resistance and resilience.

In this hybrid three-part series, taught by Rabbi Breindel, we’ll follow Lilith through ancient myth, rabbinic midrash, kabbalistic visions, folktales, and feminist theology.  We’ll also seek her voice in modern art, music, and speculative fiction.  Across the millennia, Lilith still unsettles and inspires, inviting us to imagine new ways of claiming our own voice and freedom.

Register here. This class is free for Beth El Members and $36 for guests. It will take place both at Beth El and on Zoom. 

NEXT:

CLASS 1 – Thursday, 10/30 at 7:30
The Woman of the Wild

We begin with Lilith’s earliest appearance in the Epic of Gilgamesh, then follow her path into Rabbinic thought and mystical literature. How did this “wild woman” come to embody a threat to cultural norms and power structures?  From ancient myth to magical amulets, we’ll explore how anxieties around sex, violence, and female power gave rise to one of history’s most enduring mythic figures.

UPCOMING:

CLASS 2 – Thursday, 11/6 at 7:30
The Woman of the Wind

Lilith takes flight in medieval stories as Adam’s first wife, refusing to submit and choosing her own destiny.  Vilified as a child-stealer and seductress, she emerges in Kabbalah as the dark counterpart to the Shechinah (God’s indwelling, feminized presence).  Through folktales, mysticism and art, we’ll see how Lilith embodied both terror and fascination, while hinting at hidden wisdom and power.

CLASS 3 – Thursday, 11/20 at 7:30
The Woman of the World

Modern voices reclaim Lilith as far more than a demon: she becomes a symbol of feminist defiance, queer identity, and spiritual resistance.  From Romantic poetry to Judith Plaskow’s The Coming of Lilith, from the cover of Lilith Magazine to music and art, we’ll encounter Lilith as a figure who unsettles, inspires, and empowers.  What does Lilith’s story reveal about us today?