prostrations
a high holiday art show
by hadar cohen
About
The Jewish practice of prayer has significantly changed over the centuries. What started out as Temple-based, embodied rituals has evolved to what is now a modern American synagogue-style of prayer that includes prolonged recitation of words with little to no physical movement. Yet, the High Holiday period is the one time of the year that Jewish communities practice a semblance of the ancient embodied prayer through the art of prostration - a prayer position of kneeling down. Prostrations are historically core to Jewish practice, yet their meaning and significance has been forgotten over time.
High Holidays is a period of time in the Jewish calendar year that includes the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and the time between the two. It is typically seen as a time of commemoration and liturgy. According to Hadar, an artist and Jewish feminist scholar, "it is during this time that we cleanse ourselves of all that came before us, ask for forgiveness and return to God as our Source of Life." From stories in the Bible that depict prostration as a way of encountering God, to Talmudic instructions for how one should prostrate, Judaism is filled with the lost practice of prostration.
In hopes to revive this profound, embodied practice, Prostrations is a compilation of fiber art, film, audio, scripture and poetry in reflection of Jewish devotional prostration by Hadar Cohen. This show is an expression of divine devotional erotic love of God and provides an opportunity for viewers to explore the rich tradition of prayer in Judaism just in time for High Holidays.
Opening with the Artist
Psalms 5:8
“But I, through Your abundant love, enter Your house; I bow down in awe at Your Holy Temple.”
וַאֲנִ֗י בְּרֹ֣ב חַ֭סְדְּךָ אָב֣וֹא בֵיתֶ֑ךָ אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה אֶל־הֵֽיכַל־קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃
my dream is to kneel
in front of the Great One
to come home in unabashed love & pray
to soften all of me
For full video, click here
Berakhot 28b
“Rabbi Tanchum said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: In those blessings where one is required to bow, one who prays must bow until all the vertebrae in the spine protrude.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּכְרַע עַד שֶׁיִּתְפַּקְּקוּ כׇּל חוּלְיוֹת שֶׁבַּשִּׁדְרָה.
Buy The Handbook
Prostrations is a deep dive into the practice of prostration in the Jewish tradition through a feminist lens. The first of its kind, Prostrations is a guide that roots personal reflections in the spiritual wisdom of Jewish scripture. This work uniquely merges scholarship and the artistic practice of poetics.
Prostrations is a labor of love and devotion. Because of this, it is currently being offered at a sliding scale. By supporting Prostrations, you are supporting feminist Mizrahi Jewish scholarship at the grassroots level.
the great power is through kneeling
bending down
putting head down first
anatomically, our brain bows down to our heart
we are already practicing deep servitude
yet are afraid to admit this glorious truth
when will we feel the courage
to know who we are?
Leviticus 9:23-24
(23) Moses and Aaron then went inside the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the Presence of God appeared to all the people. (24) Fire came forth from before God and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar. And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces.
וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וַיֵּ֣צְא֔וּ וַֽיְבָרֲכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיֵּרָ֥א כְבוֹד־יי אֶל־כָּל־הָעָֽם׃ וַתֵּ֤צֵא אֵשׁ֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יי וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ אֶת־הָעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶת־הַחֲלָבִ֑ים וַיַּ֤רְא כָּל־הָעָם֙ וַיָּרֹ֔נּוּ וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
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dear God,
you make everything within me holy
Sefer Yetzirah 1:6
“These ten Sefirot which are ineffable, whose appearance is like scintillating flames, have no end, but are infinite. The word of God is in them as they burst forth, and as they return; they obey the divine command, rushing along as a whirlwind, returning to prostrate themselves at God's throne.”
עשר ספירות בלי מה צפייתן כמראה הבזק ותכליתן אין להן קץ ודברו בהן ברצוא ושוב ולמאמרו כסופה ירדופו ולפני כסאו הם משתחוים:
to all the grief and pain and heartbreak
I let you break in the space between me & God
you belong here - between this intimacy
held in the truth of this relationship
Bereishit Rabbah 56:2
“The exiles will be reassembled only on the merit of prostration: “And in that day, a great ram’s horn shall be sounded; and the strayed who are in the land of Assyria and the expelled who are in the land of Egypt shall come and prostrate to God on the holy mountain, in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 27:13).”
הַגָּלֻיּוֹת אֵינָן מִתְכַּנְסוֹת אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּת הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה כז, יג): וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִתָּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל וגו' וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַה' בְּהַר הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם.
Psalms 99:5
“Exalt YHWH our God and bow down to God's footstool; God is holy!”
רֽוֹמְמ֡וּ יְה֘וָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וְֽ֭הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָ֗יו קָד֥וֹשׁ הֽוּא׃
Testimonials
“I adore the prayer rug Hadar wove for me! The prayers woven in are palpable, and this rug has been journeying with me from place to place, altar to altar, so blessing up my devotion. Her intuitive craft is potent and the piece is gorgeous and lush. Thank you, Hadar!”
- Taya Mâ
“The piece Hadar made for me is nothing short of an exquisite gift. The colors she selected for me match my soul. Hadar weaves the energies of the heavenly realms into her work.”
- Anonymous
“Hadar’s weaving is powerful. The more I ‘activate’ my use of the prayer shawl the more potent my experiences become in relation to its ritual magic. I’ve been working with it as I do my prayer and justice work. I love that it comes from the heart of Hadar and feel Hadar’s support and wisdom pouring through.” ️️️
- Kristen Greco
“I have been bonding with my prayer rug for weeks -- wearing it as a scarf, laying it on my bed, doing yoga with it at the top of my mat -- but have felt scared to really pray with it. I can feel its power! It's like having a magic carpet in my room. This week, finally, I laid my forehead for the first time on the beautiful weaving, and I felt a subtle forcefield of being held. I crawled every finger, elbow and toe onto the rug and just stayed there for awhile, grieving in sacred protection.”
- Arielle B.
“Hadar's prayer rug is one of the most beautiful gifts I never knew I needed. Each thread and stitch readily transmits the love and intention she put into weaving it. It feels like a portable altar and I use it any time I need to bring just a little more care & presence to myself, my space, or my activity. Very grateful to have it in my life and highly recommend!”
- TS
The Beauty of Divine Prayer Class
We hope you liked the show.
If you learned something new or were inspired, please consider making a donation to the artist to support her work.
dear God,
together you && me are unstoppable.
love,
hadar cohen
About the Artist
Hadar Cohen is a Mizrahi feminist healer, educator, and multimedia artist. She is the founder of Malchut, a mystical school teaching direct experience of God through heart-centered spiritual traditions. She also founded Feminism All Night, a communal project that designs immersive learning experiences on feminism and spirituality. Hadar is a Jewish mystic who works to build decolonial frameworks for worshiping God. Hadar was one of the first fellows at Abrahamic House, a multi-faith incubator for social change. Her artistic mediums include performance, movement, writing, weaving, sound, and ritual. You can check out more of her work at hadarcohen.me, @hadarcohen32 and support her on patreon.