Welcome Bilhah and Zilpah as they enter the Torah in Parashat Vayeitzei. Each year we re-read the Torah, as the people we have become since last year. There is always more to discover and Bilhah and Zilpah have more to teach us too. This year’s homecoming activities will include study of Torah and midrash around these characters, deeper dives into ritual creation, and creative ways to bridge matriarchal ancient wisdom with modern living.
One example of connecting Torah to today is during the United Nations Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence from November 25 through December 10. This is an opportunity to link biblical stories to current issues connecting global communities. How might Bilhah and Zilpah see the gender-based violence of today where you live? How might they support their great+grand-daughters in surviving, healing, and thriving?
Bilhah’s and Zilpah’s entry happens a full and partial week after Sigd which is November 29. We’ll save a little celebration for this Beit Israel (Ethiopian Jewish) national holiday of return, which also marks the anniversary of Jews of Color Sanctuary!
Register for the Bilhah Zilpah Homecoming series on Sundays in December between 12-2pmET.
- December 1: Bilhah Zilpah Enter & Sigd/JoC Sanctuary Anniversary
- December 8: Witnessing Biblical Matriarchs
- December 22: Witnessing Modern Matriarchs
- December 29: Leaving Matriarchal Legacies
Homecoming events are open to all. Email danserica@gmail.com with questions.
Read more about the origins of these events in The Bilhah Zilpah Project: Twenty-Four Lines of Torah published through Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations.
Jews of Color Sanctuary 