Bereshit 5774
Shalom!
This week, we have guest writers for the Shabbat Today
bulletin: from Jon Adam Ross, our community's Artist-in-Residence for the month
of Tishrei; and Ayelet and Keshet, Anshe Emet Synagogue and BZAEDS' shinshiniyot,
or Israeli volunteers in our community for this year.
This week, we are beginning the book of Bereshit, the
creation story. And at the exact same time, we are witnessing the creation
process of our own masterpiece, the SHMUSY Play.
The Torah teaches us that on the first day of creation, God
created daytime and nighttime.
Similarly, a few weeks ago at Anshe Emet, on the first day
of the SHMUSY play process, the USY board came up with the theme of the play,
creating the form of what would become the play..
On the second day of creation, God divided the water into
two sections - the sky and the sea.
On the second day of the SHMUSY Play process, we invited
third graders through eighth graders to join the high school students as they
created an outline for the play.
On the third day, God created the land and all of its
vegetation.
On the third day of the SHMUSY Play process, we split into
groups and began writing dialogue for the scenes in the play.
On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars.
On the fourth day of the SHMUSY play process, we got on our
feet and began improvising the lines that we had written.
On the fifth day, God created the birds and the fish of the
sea.
On the fifth day of the SHMUSY play process, we filled up
the script as it was being completed.
On the sixth day, God created animals and humanity from
God's image.
On the sixth day of the SHMUSY play process, we did dress
rehearsals, when everyone learned their blocking for the big show.
On Shabbat, God rested, and saw the SHMUSY play!
It's a special privilege to be a part of this community that
has two narratives of creation every Tishrei - the one from the Torah, and the
one of our students in the SHMUSY play.
Every Tishrei we tell our tradition's creation narrative,
and see the narrative of our students.
Please join us on Sunday, September 29th at 4 p.m. in Blum
Community Hall, as we show you our masterpiece of creation – “Sinpocalypse! A
Year Without Yom Kippur.”
