UPDATE: THE FIRST CLASS HAS BEEN POSTPONED. It will now take place on November 6 at 7:30. New third date TBA.
For three thousand years, Lilith has refused to walk any path but her own. From Mesopotamian myth to the Garden of Eden, from Jewish folklore to modern music and story, Lilith‘s voice still grows in power. Vilified as a demon and a seductress, she has also been reclaimed as a potent symbol of resistance and resilience.
In this three-part series, we’ll follow Lilith through ancient myth, rabbinic midrash, kabbalistic visions, folktales, and feminist theology. We’ll also seek her voice in modern art, music, and speculative fiction. Across the millennia, Lilith still unsettles and inspires, inviting us to imagine new ways of claiming our own voice and freedom.
This class is free for Beth El Members and $36 for guests. It will take place both at Beth El and on Zoom.
CLASS 1 – Thursday, 11/6 at 7:30
The Woman of the Wild
We begin with Lilith’s earliest appearance in the Epic of Gilgamesh, then follow her path into Rabbinic thought and mystical literature. How did this “wild woman” come to embody a threat to cultural norms and power structures? From ancient myth to magical amulets, we’ll explore how anxieties around sex, violence, and female power gave rise to one of history’s most enduring mythic figures.
CLASS 2 – Thursday, 11/20 at 7:30
The Woman of the Wind
Lilith takes flight in medieval stories as Adam’s first wife, refusing to submit and choosing her own destiny. Vilified as a child-stealer and seductress, she emerges in Kabbalah as the dark counterpart to the Shechinah (God’s indwelling, feminized presence). Through folktales, mysticism and art, we’ll see how Lilith embodied both terror and fascination, while hinting at hidden wisdom and power.
CLASS 3 – TBA
The Woman of the World
Modern voices reclaim Lilith as far more than a demon: she becomes a symbol of feminist defiance, queer identity, and spiritual resistance. From Romantic poetry to Judith Plaskow’s The Coming of Lilith, from the cover of Lilith Magazine to music and art, we’ll encounter Lilith as a figure who unsettles, inspires, and empowers. What does Lilith’s story reveal about us today?
Also check out other Workshops in Sudbury, Arts events in Sudbury, Literary Art events in Sudbury.
