Lyrics
I do not fear in the valley of death and shadow.
I teach myself to release what I cannot control.
May the source of life bless us with freedom and peace.
Ease my beloved soul.
Ease my beloved soul.
When is the last time I heard you say you love me?
I close my eyes and you appear in holy company.
The grief has not ceased since I lost my goodbye.
God, if I am to suffer, at least tell me why.
“Last night I dreamt I was a shepherd again.
I had my own mountain where you could sometimes hear the sharpened teeth of wolves.
I had a blind dog.
His named was God.
He spoke in tongues and sneered and barked at the moon.
At my sheep with golden wool.
Ever green painted shadows trickled down to the valley,Â
And I, out of fear, out of hunger,Â
I was biting with thirst the muted heart,
With which the earth is rocking her tortured children to sleep.
When I woke up I was holding in the cusp of my palmsÂ
The taste of Jonathon applesÂ
Fallen on the grass on the skin growing
SlowlyÂ
SlowlyÂ
The smell of evergreen and sour memories.”Â
Written, performed, and recorded by Ariel Root Wolpe and Mariangela Mihai
Animated by Eurico da Costa Ng
Producer: Jeremy Shuback
Executive Producer: SarahThe first matriarch, wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac, whom she birthed at the age of 90. Sarah, in Rabbinic tradition, is considered holy, beautiful, and hospitable. Many prayers, particularly the Amidah (the central silent prayer), refer to God as Magen Avraham – protector of Abraham. Many Jews now add: pokehd or ezrat Sarah – guardian or helper of Sarah. Lefton
G-dcast wishes to thank:
Evan Wolkenstein
Maya Bernstein
Dan Wolf
Alicia Jo Rabins
Russel Neiss
Danielle Foreman
Barbara Barza
Allie Wollner
RachelLavan's younger daughter and Jacob's beloved wife second wife (after he is initially tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah). Rachel grieves throughout her life that she is barren while Leah is so fertile. Ultimately, Rachel gives birth to Joseph and dies in childbirth with Benjamin. Rachel is remembered as compassionate (she is said to still weep for her children), and infertile women often invoke Rachel as a kind of intercessor and visit her tomb on the road to Bethlehem. Levinson
Sarah Kashinsky
All of the inspired poets who contributed to this project
As part of Ritualwell’s partnership with G-dcast, we present a series of videos that share personal stories about Jewish lifecycle events.Â
G-dcast.com is a San Francisco–based nonprofit that makes Jewish text come alive through animated short films, apps and tools for guided conversations. The organization is dedicated to helping make Jewish literacy attainable for as many people as possible by seamlessly combining timeless storytelling techniques with 21st century learning tools. To learn more about G-dcast, visit www.g-dcast.com.
The Lifecycles Project was made possible with generous support from The Koret Foundation, as part of their Initiative on Jewish Peoplehood.
