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LABA Bay

About LABA

LABA

LABA is a Jewish house of study and culture laboratory which uses classic Jewish texts to inspire the creation of art, dialogue, and study. The program began in New York City in 2007 at the 14th Street Y, and expanded to Buenos Aires in 2015. LABA has received a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts and was named one of the most innovative Jewish organizations. The goal is to present Judaism’s rich literary and intellectual tradition in a free and creative setting, where they can spark new thought and culture. The creative output from LABA pushes the boundaries of what Jewish art can be and what Jewish texts can teach.

THE HOUSE OF STUDY

Every year, LABA selects a group of 8-10 artist fellows, a mix of visual artists, writers, dancers, musicians, actors, and more, to study classic Jewish texts in an open-minded and accessible setting. Neither theological nor academic, LABA welcomes fellows with a wide variety of approaches to Jewish life and tradition. The yearly curriculum is centered around a theme, and previous ones include Beauty, Paradise, Eat, Mother, and Time. The 2020 theme for LABA will be Humor, and will be explored through writings from the Torah, Talmud, Mishnah, and Zohar alongside select contemporary texts.

LABAlive

LABA fellows create new work in response to the texts they learn in the house of study. This work, some finished, some in-process, will be read, exhibited, and performed as part of the LABAlive series. Events will take place at the JCC East Bay as well as other cultural institutions around the East Bay. Each LABAlive will combine culture with text teachings, along with a nosh and some wine, and will be open to the whole community. The first LABAlive event, DRUNK, was held on 11/23/2019. Stay tuned for dates for our upcoming live events. We’ve got a lot in store for you, but do need to wait for when it’s safe for us to leave our homes

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Contact

Have questions about LABA EAST BAY?

laba@jcceastbay.org

Funding

LABA East Bay is generously supported by the Firehouse Fund: Cultivating Sparks

Upcoming LABA Events

May 2025

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