Isaac & Rabbi Shawna can join your community for a few hours or a few days as artist and scholar in residence, leading you in creating papercut artwork, studying midrash and Torah through the lens of contemporary pop culture, and worshipping with dynamic new service elements. We offer many different programs, but our most popular offerings fall into two categories: workshops and presentations.
Papercutting Workshops
Step into a world where tradition meets pop culture in our one-of-a-kind papercutting workshops, a unique form of text study through art. In this dynamic three-hour workshop, participants immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Jewish texts while crafting intricate papercuts using knives and comic books. Unveil the magic of Torah in a visually captivating way, where each cut becomes a connection to ancient wisdom and modern imagination. Join us for an experience that breathes new life into tradition, blending the timeless with the contemporary in a celebration of creativity and cultural connection.
We also offer shorter two-hour workshops such as our "Make Your Own Golem," papercutting workshop. This two-hour program starts with a visual presentation on the legend of the golem in Jewish text and culture, followed by a hands-on workshop in which participants make golems out of cut-up comic books.
Fingerprint Mosaics
Experience the joy of creating Torah-inspired art for your community in the company of family and friends. Contribute your unique touch to a collective masterpiece that reflects the diversity and unity within our community. Our “Fingerprint Mosaics” program is designed for all ages, from the youngest member of your congregation to the oldest. Each project is unique and can range from a 90-minute program to multiple sessions over the course of a weekend to create a series. Great to accompany a Havdalah and shmooze activity, for a religious school morning, or as an intergenerational program or family activity. And there's no limit on the number of people that can participate. This is more than a project; it's a social experience that transcends the boundaries of traditional art workshops.
Street Art Prophecy
Inspired by the words of our prophets and the Tel Aviv graffiti scene, our two-hour “Street Art Prophecy” spray paint workshop is a hands-on program perfect for high school teens. We start with a lesson on Jewish prophetic teaching and Tel Aviv street art. Participants then learn how to use materials to create and spray their own stencils; they make individual prints for themselves, and create a “wall” as a group displaying all of their work.
Pre-B-Mitzvah Workshops
We offer a hands-on workshop for younger students preparing for their b-mitzvah: teaching about midrash and "getting more out of your Torah portion," with a lesson on Jewish fan fiction and plenty of comic books to create with.
Inter-Generational Workshops
We
offer art workshops tailored for inter-generational audiences such as tallit-making and mosaics.
Dynamic Visual Presentations
Conversations between a rabbi and an artist on a wide range of engaging topics, presented with thoughtful, humorous visuals. Isaac & Rabbi Shawna present engaging presentations on various topics, accompanied by slides featuring Jewish texts and Isaac’s art. Dynamic visual sermons on the weekly Torah portions and special topics. From 20 minutes to an hour, for any audience.
- People of the Comic Book: A History of Jews and Comics
- Women of Valor and Other Super Heroes
- Abraham, Sarah, Clark, and Lois: Our Patriarchs and Matriarchs
- Lech L’cha: Boldly Go
- Saving the World: Superman, Batman and Noah
- Paper Tefillah: Prayer and Art
- Making Midrash: Interpretation and Artistic Process
- The Twelve Tribes: An Exploration of Peoplehood
- Maccabees and Other Super Heroes [Hanukkah]
- Revelation and the Hero Code [Shavuot]
- Redemption and T’shuvah in Comic Books and Holy Books [Selichot]
- Judaism and Art: History, Interpretation, Practice
Sermons and Worship
Isaac & Rabbi Shawna write and deliver visual sermons on the weekly parashot, with accompanying visuals. They have also created a unique "visual tefillah" in partnership with the CCAR which incorporates Isaac's series of tefillah papercuts and is designed for overhead projection.
