Create Meaningful Midrash Through Art

We’re proud to offer you this special opportunity to make something meaningful, while interpreting the Torah in a new and imaginative way.

Congregation B'nai Israel is excited to welcome husband-and-wife team Isaac & Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik for these hands-on learning programs.

No experience or “artistic ability” is required, all materials are provided. You don’t have to know how to paint or draw. We bring the supplies, you bring your enthusiasm!

For planning purposes, please register below. 

Paper Midrash | Biography

Husband and wife “dynamic duo” Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik create new pathways into Torah, combining deep Jewish scholarship with comic books and pop culture for a unique take on traditional texts. Isaac cuts up comic books and reassembles them into papercuts that explore the stories of the Jewish people. Rabbi Shawna adapts traditional Jewish concepts to a modern Reform context, and brings that synergy to students of all ages. Together, they are “Paper Midrash.”

Session Descriptions

"Fingerprint Mosaic" Art Workshop – Part 1
Thursday, May 25 | 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Isaac and Rabbi Shawna will guide the community to create a lectern cover for the synagogue. This is a large table-cloth style covering made of individual fingerprints. The end result is a beautiful and unique art piece which reflects Jewish tradition in a colorful, contemporary way.

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"Torah Study with Knives" 
Thursday, May 25 | 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Isaac and Rabbi Shawna will lead a three-hour papercutting workshop program on the theme of "Redemption and the Hero Code." In this workshop, we will study some midrash (stories about the stories in the Torah) and how each of us brings something different to the story. You will learn step-by-step how to create your own papercut using an X-Acto knife. We’re proud to offer you this special opportunity to make something meaningful, while interpreting the Torah in a new and imaginative way. All participants make artwork they can take home. Registration capped at 30 participants.

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"Fingerprint Mosaic" Art Workshop – Part 2
Saturday, May 27 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Isaac and Rabbi Shawna will guide the community to create a tablecloth for the synagogue, matching the lectern cover. 

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When registering, please indicate in the NOTES section how many adults and how many teens or kids will be participating in each workshop you are attending. Thank you!