A FLOWING THROUGH TIME AND TRADITION PROGRAM
Join us for Reflection and Transformation, the first in a series of Beit Midrash Study Sessions inspired by the art and objects on view in Flowing through Time and Tradition. Beit Midrash Study Sessions | Flowing through Time and Tradition
In person at the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA
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Water reflects and transforms. It carries us into life and back to ourselves. From washing the body to cleansing the soul, we are born and reborn through its flow. In Chinese wisdom, the element of water is linked to the Yin energy of inner depth and mystery, connecting us to the fertile darkness of the Unknown. Trusting in the deepwater of not knowing and being receptive to water’s fluidity allows for our fullest transformation.
In the Hebrew month of Elul—a time of reflection and forgiveness, leading to the high holidays—we invite you to explore the possibilities of flowing. 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.
Please join us for a special gallery tour focusing on objects connected to the monthly Beit Midrash theme before each study session from 1:00-1:30pm. Please RSVP for the gallery tour here.
The Magnes’s programs and exhibitions are supported by our community. Click here to make a suggested donation of $10 per session or $55 for the full series.
If you have any questions about accessibility or require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact us at dalter@berkeley.edu or call us at (510) 643-2526 with as much advance notice as possible.
Program is subject to change.
About the guest teacher
From childhood, Nicole Stone has been deeply connected to movement, finding it a profound source of expression and inquiry. What began as an innate flow evolved into dedicated study of dance and movement improvisation with masters like Anna Halprin. After a period in education, motherhood prompted a new exploration, guiding Nicole to revitalizing practices like Qigong, which offered her a path to internal stability, especially through personal loss. Following extensive study in Medical Qigong and Daoist Meditation, Nicole found a powerful complement in Yoga, and as a certified Iyengar-Inspired Yoga teacher, she now shares these practices, emphasizing their ability to cultivate health, nourishment, and joy by harmonizing breath, movement, and stillness.
About the series
Beit Midrash, meaning a house of study in Hebrew, is a series of eight creative, collaborative study sessions inspired by the art and objects on view in Flowing through Time and Tradition. Guided by the curator and guest teachers, 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.
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.