Verses: Recent Episodes
The Jewish Living Lab
On each episode of Verses Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold in Montreal and Anita Silvert in Chicago select a song from the Broadway canon and match it with a selection from the Biblical canon, putting the texts in conversation with one another.
You’ve got a friend in me. Ok, wrong show, but join me as we explore the deep challenges and joys of friendships. We’ll be looking at the relationship between Jonathan and David in 1st Samuel in the Bible, and “For Good” from Wicked.
You can follow along with the Biblical text here.
Testing 1,2,3 – This week’s episode is all about counting. We count up, we count down. Join me as I explore counting the Omer, as we prepare for Shavuot, and “Seasons of Love” from Rent.
You can follow along with the Biblical text here.
Fathers and sons, a most complicated relationship! Join me as we examine the connection that Abraham and Isaac have, along with exploring “Not My Father’s Son” from the Broadway hit, “Kinky Boots” You can follow along with the Biblical text here.
Happy Passover! Join Anita as she explores the Exodus story and “Why we tell the Story” from Once on this Island. You can follow along with the lyrics and the Biblical text here. Feel free to share and follow! And let me know what you like, or would like more/less of here at our Faceook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
We'll look at the story of Esther for the holiday of Purim, and bring in a song from "110 in the Shade". Remember to "booooo" when Haman's name comes up! He's the villain in the Book of Esther, and we try to drown out his name!
Here's the source sheet for the Biblical text https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/552216?editor=1
Does clothing make the man? What role does clothing play in Joseph's story?
Join Rachel and Anita as they compare the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and the Biblical text of Joseph, as seen through the lens of clothing.
Follow along on the source sheet at https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/463601?editor=1
Who was Jacob struggling with when the "man" confronted him?
The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tells of a man whose internal struggle ends badly. What about Jacob's struggle? Join Anita and Rachel as they connect the song "Confrontation" from Jekyll and Hyde to Jacob's struggle with the angel.
Follow along on the source sheet at https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/463599?lang=bi
Was Noah just following orders? And what did he really think about the flood, and God's decision?
This week Rachel and Anita pair Children of Eden's take on Noah's conversation with God, and the text itself.
Follow along at https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/427401?lang=bi
Was Noah just following orders? What did he really think about the flood, and God's decision? This week Anita and Rachel pair Children of Eden's take on Noah's conversation with God, and the text itself.
Follow along at
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/427401?lang=bi
What causes a brother to kill another brother? What led to the struggle between Cain and Abel? Join Rachel and Anita for two different takes on the story, (with a lot in common!), one from Genesis text, and the other from "The Mark of Cain" from the 1991 Stephen Schwartz musical Children of Eden.
Follow along at https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/418733?lang=bi
Paradise: what creeps in to make it crumble? Join Rachel and Anita as they explore "Camelot" from Camelot, and the text from Genesis and the Garden of Eden.
Follow along at
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/418659?lang=bi
As Verses' second season continues Rachel and Anita ask if it all started with the apple and wonder what it was like for Adam to see this brand new world in an episode pairing the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden and the 1966 show "The Apple Tree" with its song "Beautiful World”.
Follow along on the Sourcesheet at
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/443328?lang=bi
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With the launch of Season 2 the spotlight falls on God, the Ultimate Artist! Join Rachel and Anita as they explore "Color and Light" from Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George" and the opening lines of Bereshit, when God creates the universe and made order out of chaos.
Follow along to this episode with the Sefaria sourcesheet at:
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/409646?lang=bi
The Passover miniseries concludes as Rachel and Anita explore what it means to be on the edge of what came before and what's coming next, bringing together Fiddler on the Roof's well-known finale 'Anatevka' and the story of the exodus from slavery in Egypt.
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com/
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com/podcasts
In part 2 of the Passover mini series Anita and Rachel look at freedom in a conversation bringing together 'Feeling Good' from The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd, and pairing it with texts from Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com/
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com/podcasts
You know the old saying that God made humans because God likes stories? Tune in for this episode as hosts Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold and Anita Silvert kick off a special Passover mini-series with "Why we tell the Story" from Once on This Island paired with a text from Exodus.
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com/
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com/podcasts
How do you make someone feel truly welcomed? When a stranger shows up, sent by fate, whether in Gander on 9/11 or with Abraham in the bible, these people know how to make a guest feel at home.
link to source sheet:
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/304290?lang=bi
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com/
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com/podcasts
Rain is a blessing; not enough or too much, it can be a curse. Join hosts Anita and Rachel as they splash through the Rain Song from "110 in the Shade", pairing it with the story of Choni the Circlemaker.
Read the Biblical text and the song lyrics on this Sefaria source sheet:
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/295694?editor=1
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com/
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com/podcasts
Do you notice those suffering around you? Do you pay attention and ask how to help? Join Anita and Rabba Rachel as they match Secret Garden's "I Hear Someone Crying" and the story of Moses at the Burning Bush.
Read the Biblical text and the song lyrics on this Sefaria source sheet:
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/306736?editor=1
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com
In the search for the meaning of life, what matters most? Love? Wealth? Pleasures? How old you are? Anita and Rabba Rachel discuss Pippin and how it relates to the Book of Ecclesiastes.
Read the Biblical text and the song lyrics on this Sefaria source sheet.
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/370926?editor=1
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com
Why do you start on a journey? What do you want? And what do you take with you from the journey? Listen to the conversation about Abraham and the fairy tale characters of Into the Woods.
Read the Biblical text and the song lyrics on this Sefaria source sheet.
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/359097?editor=1
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com
When standing up for justice means putting your own life in danger and forcing you to flee, Anita and Rabba Rachel discuss the complexities of personal identity in the life of Moses and the character of Jean Valjean.
Follow along with the Sefaria source sheet at
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/365529?editor=1
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at
https://www.anitasilvert.com
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at
www.jewishlivinglab.com
The land you have always wanted to go to turns out not to be what you expected as hosts Anita and Rabba Rachel discuss the connections between immigrants to America in West Side Story and the Promised Land.
Read the Biblical text and the song lyrics on this Sefaria source sheet.
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/356735?editor=1
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website here.
https://www.anitasilvert.com
Visit the Jewish Living Lab here.
www.jewishlivinglab.com
On the inaugural episode Anita and Rachel discuss the musical Newsies and the classic Bible narrative where the little guy stands up to the big man.
Read the Biblical text and the song lyrics on this Sefaria source sheet:
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/297462?lang=bi
Join the Verses Facebook group to continue the conversation:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/941182063491276
Visit Anita's website at https://www.anitasilvert.com/
Visit the Jewish Living Lab at www.jewishlivinglab.com/podcasts
Introducing Verses, a new podcast from The Jewish Living Lab. On each episode Rabba Rachel Kohl-Finegold in Montreal and Anita Silvert in Chicago select a song from the Broadway canon and match it with a selection from the Biblical canon putting the texts in conversation with one another.
Watch for episode 1 launching later this month!