Green-Wood Chapel, The Green-Wood Cemetery
For centuries, Jewish women in Eastern Europe, called feldmesterins, measured cemeteries and graves with thread. They used the threads to make special neshome likht [soul candles], or in some cases, protection bands worn around the wrists, ankles, or neck.
In this workshop / walking tour, led by Sarah Chandler and Annie Cohen of The Shamir Collective, we will learn about these forgotten cemetery rituals, and the traditional belief that the cemetery was a portal where we could access the help of our ancestors. As we visit some of the Jewish people buried there, we will use these rituals to connect with them and with our own ancestors. We will then use the threads to make soul candles.
This is an event for anyone who is interested in Jewish and/or local history, who wants to discover some neglected folklore and protection magics, or to find new paths of ancestral connection.
The Shamir Collective is a small group of mystics, artists, and scholars who are working to renew the Jewish relationship with the earth through creative ritual, mindfulness, and transformative experiential learning.
This event is presented by The Neighborhood in collaboration with The Green-Wood Cemetery.
