Rabbi Wax’s first full-length poetry book, Walking the Labyrinth, was published in May to wide acclaim. Poet Jessica Greenbaum wrote of it, “If you want to know the powers of poetry to transform experience—and how a rabbi transforms grief—follow the thread of Wax’s revelatory intellect through this accomplished, complex, and spiritual book.” Her second book of poetry, Starter Mothers, will be published by Finishing Line Press in 2023. Rabbi Wax’s poems appear in many literary publications and have won several awards as well as a “Best of the Net” nomination. Her essays and articles on Jewish spirituality, Mussar, and women’s issues have also been published in books and periodicals.

After serving as a hospital chaplain, congregational rabbi, and as the UAHC’s assistant director for Adult Jewish Education, Rabbi Wax ran a Jewish spiritual healing center at a social service agency for 19 years, offering pastoral counseling and spiritual journeying opportunities for writers, meditators, and seekers. She has been a devoted teacher and student of Mussar for over 20 years and has served as a scholar-in-residence at congregations throughout the United States.

Rabbi Wax lives in North Adams, MA with her husband Chaim Bronstein, and, thanks to Zoom, now offers online Mussar and poetry workshops.

To pre-order Rabbi Wax’s book and have her sign it in person, click here.

This program is generously underwritten by the Bill and Norma Brown Fund for Lifelong Learning

Schedule of Events:

Friday, December 9th

6:30 p.m.
Singing Halleluyahs: Psalmody and Sacred Poetry
Our Shabbat service will be infused with riffs and interpretive translations of biblical Psalms that are part of the Shabbat liturgy, as well as contemporary poetic psalms. Our artist-in-residence, Rabbi Pamela Wax, will speak to the role of Psalms liturgically and in the contemporary poetic imagination.

7:30 p.m.
Board Dinner
After dinner, we will study our own personal psalms, and in chevruta discern the message that this “birthday psalm” might have to offer you.

Saturday, December 10th

9:30 a.m.
In the Beginning: In every generation, artists respond anew to the biblical stories in Genesis, keeping Torah fresh and vibrant. In responding to some contemporary midrashic poems, we will also learn about poetic form and the choices the poet made in writing his/her poem.

Sunday, December 11th

9:30 a.m.
Adult Learning: Jewish Poetry for Heart and Mind: We will look at several contemporary Jewish poems for both content and form, asking: “What makes it Jewish?” and even “What makes this a poem?” The last half hour will be an opportunity to respond to one of several offered prompts and to receive feedback on your draft poems.

11:00 a.m.
Teen Session: Entering the Garden with Adam and Eve: We will take a deep dive into the opening chapters of Genesis, and then see how poets have re-imagined God, Adam, Eve, and the Garden of Eden. Students will have an opportunity to write their own midrashim in response to this iconic story.