DARSHAN

* please find, topics & videos below

Darshan is astral rap, liturgical jazz, audio alchemy. Harmonizing Hebrew chant with hip-hop, folk rock with electro-pop, love poetry with kabbalistic psychology, Darshan is a unique and organic weave of world wisdom traditions and modern musical styles.

At its core, Darshan is the creative and contemplative collaboration between Shir Yaakov Feinstein-Feit and Eden "Eprhyme" Pearlstein. Together, these two juxtapose diverse sounds and styles in an artistic act of bridge building.

The group is exceptionally versatile, playing both stripped down acoustic (and even a capella) sets, as well as full force, multi-instrumental concerts. Fans uncomfortable or unfamiliar with hip-hop are able to appreciate this complex and moving music when it's slowed down and softened up. The big, plugged-in, live band festival and club sets resonate with the younger and/or more rock-oriented crowd.

As Modern Midrash Makers, Darshan is able to offer a wide variety of presentations, including facilitated text study sessions, shabbatons, melaveh malkas, children's programs and weddings.

TOPICS:

Pardes in Practice
• This is unique course format offering an oppurtunity to join artist-scientist/musician-poets on a journey through their creative process. Discover how a song is “received”, conceived of and completed. Dive into archetypes, fall into free-associative symbolic juxtapositions and taste from the world of textual references. This “hyper-text-study” deconstructs the lyrics and music of Darshan’s songs and begins to reveal what goes on behind the scenes during the of the creation of Contemporary Jewish Culture.

The Art of Judaism
• Explore the intersections between Jewish Practice and the Creative Process. We will be asking and addressing questions such as: ‘How can the expressive arts help me access deeper levels of meaning and experience in Judaism?’, and ‘What light can the Wisdom of the Jewish Tradition shed on contemporary art forms and The Way of the Artist?’

The Way of the Darshan
• The word darshan shares the same root as the words drash — ‘to seek’, and midrash — the body ofaggadah/creative/poetic’ commentary on the Torah. The Darshan is the one who ‘drashes’, or seeks out hidden meaning from between the lines and then presents the midrash, or creative interpretation of text. Explore the role and function of the Darshan in traditional and classical Judaism , and discover it’s potential for a more engaged Jewish experience in today’s cultural climate and consciousness.

That’s a Rap!
• What do Hip Hop and Judaism have in common? Come find out… Join Eprhyme and Shir Yaakov for a fascinating foray into multi-culturalism, mysticism and music. This will be a lecture, discussion and digital/visual presentation
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Malava Malka
• Malava Malka — literally “escorting the queen” — is a beautiful way to take leave of the Sabbath Queen while ushering in the coming week.  This mystical, musical ‘Fourth Meal’ helps us to integrate our Shabbat experience and to irrigate the rest of the week… straight from the source of the sacred wellspring.