But God Remembered by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso

Lifting up the voices of women, providing children a language for their spirituality and fashioning new midrash are part of my life’s work. I regard myself as a storyteller, a gather of ancient narratives and a creator of new ones. By studying with faculty in the fields of music, literature, visual art and religious interpretation, the participants find inspiration to create new work that is later shared in a community exhibition.Īfter retirement, I have devoted more time to the writing of children’s books and co-founded Women4Change Indiana, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization whose mission is to mobilize women to engage effectively in political and civic affairs to strengthen democracy and advocate for the leadership and dignity of all women in Indiana. I created the Religion, Spirituality and Arts Initiative at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), which brings together artists from diverse artistic disciplines and religions for sustained study and reflection on a select biblical text.

After 36 years, in 2013, I retired from the congregation to pursue my interest in writing and the intersection of the arts and religion. We were the first rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. After serving three years in a congregation in Manhattan, in 1977 my husband, Dennis, and I became spiritual leaders of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis.

In 1974, I was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Because of an incredible rabbinic mentor (Rabbi Bertram Korn) and a supportive family, what was simply an unlikely dream became a reality. When I was 16 years old, I told my closest friends that I wanted to be a rabbi. It’s with great honor (and excitement!) that I share this interview with her.įrom the time I was a young teenager, I was deeply interested in Judaism. She i s the author of several nationally acclaimed children’s books including: God’s Paintbrush, Adam and Eve’s First Sunset, In God’s Name, But God Remembered and Noah’s Wife The Story of Na’amah , Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, is the Rabbi Emerita at Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indiana and the Director of Religion, Spirituality and the Arts, IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute.

Also, it feels so healing and vital to read midrash about the women from the Bible.įor those of you unfamiliar with Rabbi Sandy Sasso: Reading her books gave me the goosebumps because they were at once simple, beautiful and spiritual.

At that time (and still today) I was looking for books that would help me explore spirituality and G-d with our young daughter. I first met Rabbi Sandy Sasso through her children’s books: In God’s Name and Noah’s Wife: The Story of Naamah.

But God Remembered by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso