Who is SHE?

Who is SHE?

The CU Program in Jewish Studies and the CU Post-Holocaust American Judaism Collections

2017

2017 Embodied Judaism: SHE exhibit curated by Nan Goodman with curatorial advide from Sam Boyd, Gregg Drinkwater, Tirzah Firestone, and John Sheridan. Exhibit design by Andrew Violet in 2017. Digital exhibit coordination by Jane Thaler in 2017.

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English

EJ2017_SHE_002

Shekhinah is an ancient concept that has been with the Jews for over 2600 years. She is understood as God’s “presence” on earth, God’s “in-dwelling,” or divine manifestation. Often thought of as the embodiment of an otherwise unseen and disembodied God, and occasionally associated with the goddesses of other ancient Near Eastern religions, Shekhinah takes on a distinctive yet changing identity in the various Jewish sources in which She appears, including the Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, Midrash, and Kabbalah. The Shekhinah appears in different guises at various times: God’s companion or consort, People of Israel’s Mother, Goddess of Wisdom, Force of Immediacy, Glow of Divine Light, ...even God herself. A shape-shifter at heart, She is with the people of Israel in their exile – at their side, spreading her wings over them, and giving them shelter in their times of suffering and joy. Shekhinah is a symbol of peace, solace, and unity dwelling within us.