Beit Midrash Series
Achinoam Aldouby leading a study session at the 2025 Jewish Arts & Bookfest
Join us for a series of creative, collaborative study sessions inspired by the art and objects on view in Flowing through Time and Tradition.
Beit Midrash is Hebrew for “House of Study.” By convening these community learning sessions at the Magnes, we are bringing this traditional concept into the museum setting, creating a space dedicated to shared exploration, reflection, and pressing questions.
Guided by the curator and guest educators, we will engage with texts and artistic expressions to delve deeper into the exhibition objects and themes, to draw knowledge, surface reflections, and pour forth new perspectives.
Prior to each study session will be a special 30 minute gallery tour focusing on objects connected to the monthly Beit Midrash theme beginning at 1:00 pm.
No prior knowledge of Jewish text study or art is required. All are welcome to attend as a monthly practice or just once.
The Gallery Tours and Beit Midrash Study Sessions are free to attend with a suggested donation of $5 for each tour and $20 for each study session. Registration is requested.
Beit Midrash Study Sessions
Session 1 | Reflection and Transformation
Sunday, September 21, 2025
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Through a gentle Qi-Gong practice led by Nicole Stone, and guided learning of Jewish texts and rituals, we will clear inner pathways and explore unknown ways to cleanse, change and return.
Session 2 | Chaos and Creation
Sunday, October 12, 2025
1:30 – 3:00 pm
During the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and led by visual artist Adina Polen, this session will use Jewish sources and art materials as foundations for exploring the vital juncture of chaos and creation.
Session 3 | Under the Water: Asking for Rain in a Time of Floods and Sea Level Rise
Sunday, November 9, 2025
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Join artist Claire Sherman for a Hebrew folk dance celebrating water and community, followed by a conversation with Dr. Joel Gerwein weaving together current research on sea level rise with Jewish stories about water.
Session 4 | Thirst
Sunday, December 7, 2025
1:30 – 3:00 pm
With filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman, this session will include a screening of the film “Thirst”, a conversation with the filmmakers, and a text study.
Session 5 | The First Water is the Body: Tracing Streams
Sunday, February 1, 2026
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Led by Dan Alter, this session we will read, discuss, and compose poetry related to tracing the course of the running waters in our lives, our lands, and their paths in our bodies.
Session 6 | Waters of Transformation
Sunday, February 22, 2026
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Through text study, personal reflection, and a series of paintings that capture the intimate essence of transformative moments, Rabbi Katz and Karen Fridman will delve into the spiritual depths of water-based rituals.
Session 7 | Women, Water, and Care
Sunday, April 19, 2026
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Program details to come.
Session 8 | Jewish Arts & Bookfest
Sunday, May 3, 2026
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Program details to come.
Gallery Tours
Sunday at 1:00 pm, before each study session
Beit Midrash attendees can fully immerse themselves in the themes of the exhibition at a gallery tour prior to each study session. These focused, 30-minute tours allow participants to explore the art and objects in Flowing through Time and Tradition, establishing visual and historical context before diving into deeper textual study.
Registration
The Gallery Tours and Beit Midrash Study Sessions are free to attend with a suggested donation of $5 for each tour and $20 for each study session. Registration is requested.
About the Exhibition
Exploring the theme of water through the holdings of the Magnes Collection, Flowing through Time and Tradition traces how water flows through and shapes Jewish lives: enacting belief, sustaining life and communities, providing the means for spiritual cleansing, and mapping identities.