Need inspiration as an artist and a cohort of culture-makers to surround you in 2021? Consider applying to LABA East Bay by (new date) November 16, 2021 by clicking here!
LABA East Bay is a non-religious, Jewish house of study and culture laboratory which uses classic Jewish texts to inspire the creation of art, dialogue, and study. It aims to present Judaism’s rich literary and intellectual tradition in a free and creative setting, so that these stories and ideas spark new thought and art. The creative output from our House of Study pushes the boundaries of what Jewish art can be and what Jewish texts can teach.
This year’s theme is CHOSE-N:
Decisions, decisions.
Few of us have a healthy relationship with chosenness. How could we? The notion that we, as individuals, have something special, and that specialness needs to be shared with the world just doesn’t sit right. Nevertheless, here we are, trying to shape hearts and change minds through our creative endeavors. Even more uncomfortable is the idea of communal chosenness, which just so happens to be a major plot point in ancient Jewish literature. Jews, so it goes, are the “chosen people.”
Doing the choosing ourselves can be equally fraught. When we pick one person, one life path, or one creative project over another, we are inevitably closing the door on many others. The ability to make these decisions is a gift and privilege, but also, sometimes a burden. Our capacity to choose is one of greatest powers, leading to deep joy as well as regret and shame.
In 2021, LABA East Bay we will explore the power of choice from all angles. What does it feel like to choose? What does it feel like to be chosen? And how do we know whether it is our time to do one or the other?
Most importantly, we’ll have a great time talking, eating, drinking, learning, and laughing in the lush, fertile, free-flowing, romantic, super-serious, and endlessly playful environment of LABA East Bay: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture.
Featured here: 2020 LABA East Bay fellow Sara Felder