Welcome to The Sunday Studio, a virtual workshop series partnering creativity with a seriously wonderful cause: HIAS. My hope is that the meaningful, high-quality classes and conversations you’ll find here will keep you learning, dreaming, and creating all summer long—and that they’ll make a real difference in the lives of people around the world, too. You can learn more about the studio and find answers to all of your registration questions here, and read about HIAS here.
sunday, may 10 at 12 p.m. EST
pilates with stephanie israelson
what to expect:
Join pilates instructor Stephanie Israelson for a 45-minute classical mat pilates class with a few new challenges sprinkled in. Whether you’ve been doing pilates your whole life or have never tried it, you’ll enjoy a fun, full body workout and come away feeling thoroughly invigorated.
what to bring:
A mat, clothes you can move freely in, and either socks or bare feet! We’ll be incorporating 3-lb. weights into the workout; if you don’t have those, you can use wine bottles, soup cans, or just about whatever else you can find.
Learn more about Stephanie here.
sign upsunday, may 17 at 2 p.m. EST
color theory & watercolor basics with chaya toron
what to expect:
Join Judaica and watercolor artist Chaya Toron for the first session of a two-week watercolor workshop series (note that you don’t have to attend both sessions). In this first 1-hour class, we’ll be exploring color theory and watercolor basics, and you’ll come away with a simple, beautiful lemon painting you can frame or give away as a gift.
what to bring:
Nothing fancy! Chaya recommends watercolor paper, a watercolor palette or watercolor paint tubes, a round brush, a cup of water, paper towels, a pencil, and a positive attitude.
Read an interview with Chaya here, purchase her artwork here, or follow her on Instagram here.
sign upsunday, may 24 at 2 p.m. EST
watercolor floral monograms with chaya toron
what to expect:
Join Judaica and watercolor artist Chaya Toron for the second 1-hour session of this two-week watercolor workshop (no, you don’t have to attend both sessions, but if you do, you’ll build upon your skills and notice a few valuable themes and connections). We’ll be applying our color theory skills to create some fun, simple floral monograms.
what to bring:
Chaya recommends watercolor paper, a watercolor palette or watercolor paint tubes, a round brush, a cup of water, paper towels, a pencil, and a positive attitude.
Read an interview with Chaya here, purchase her artwork here, or follow her on Instagram here.
sign upsunday, may 31 at 3 p.m. EST
modern israeli cooking
with leanne shor
what to expect:
Join recipe developer and food photographer Leanne Shor of Lion’s Bread for this 45-minute workshop, during which she’ll make three Israeli salads that she serves at home with almost every meal. these big-batch recipes will allow you to have super flavorful, bright salads on hand for the coming week. In this workshop, Leanne will also introduce the basic components and pantry essentials involved in her particular brand of modern Israeli cooking.
what to bring:
Israeli salad:
2 cucumbers
2 ripe tomatoes
1 red onion
Lemon
Olive oil
Salt
Fresh herbs
Marinated roasted eggplant:
1 eggplant
Fresh garlic
Lemon juice
White vinegar
Olive oil
Sugar
Salt
Fresh cilantro
Easy pickles:
1 head cauliflower
1 carrot
Celery
White vinegar
Salt
Garlic
Pepper flakes
Tahini
Raw tahini paste
Lemon juice
Salt
Water
Garlic
Read an interview with Leanne here, visit her blog here, or find her on instagram here.
sign upsunday, june 21 at 2 p.m. EST
intro to modern calligraphy with malka klein
what to expect:
Join Malka Klein, calligrapher and Ketubah designer, as we dive into the world of modern calligraphy (dip pen and ink), plus a quick envelope design tutorial as a bonus! In this approx. 1-hour workshop (will likely go a little over!), you’ll learn the foundations of this beautiful and relaxing art form so that you can create your own calligraphed letters for craft projects and gorgeous snail mail. No experience (or good handwriting!) necessary.
what to bring:
NOTE: If you can’t get your hands on the below supplies, just bring one pencil! Any “soft” pencil is fine. Malka will be demonstrating with both tools.
• Calligraphy ink (Sumi ink recommended)
• A pointed nib and pen holder (such as Brause Steno or Nikko G)
• A small cup of water
• Paper towels
• A piece of tape
• Worksheets printed on bleed-proof paper (such as HP 32# LaserJet Paper)
For the bonus envelope design, you’ll need:
• One envelope
• One sheet of card stock or watercolor paper
• An old book jacket
All supplies can be ordered from johnnealbooks.com, and some can be found on amazon. Be sure to print out your worksheets on bleed-proof paper before the class begins.
Find Malka on Instagram here or commission custom Judaica artwork here.
sign upsunday, june 28 at 2 p.m. EST
no-yeast challah with mandy silverman
what to expect:
Learn some challah-making tips and tricks from the challah guru herself: Mandylicious! During this 45-minute workshop, she’ll teach you how to make her yeast-free recipe—perfect for when you can’t find yeast or don’t have any in your kitchen. You’ll also come away with an understanding of basic braiding techniques.
what to bring:
• 2 cups bread flour (all-purpose or whole wheat can be substituted)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (brown sugar or honey can be substituted)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vinegar (white or apple cider)
• 1 tablespoon oil (melted butter or margarine can be substituted)
• 1 egg for egg wash
• A bowl
• A greased baking sheet or loaf pan
Follow Mandy on Instagram here.
sign upsunday, july 12 at 2 p.m. EST
food photography & styling with rebekah lowin
what to expect:
Learn how to improve your food photo game! Please note that this 60-minute workshop is intended for budding photographers who are looking to complement their existing skill set with new techniques and ideas—i.e. we won’t cover photography basics (such as DSLR camera settings). Instead, to allow for maximum inclusivity, we’ll use our smartphones to take a few sample shots and discuss light, composition, balance, movement, connection, easy at-home “studio” set-ups, props, styling, backgrounds, and more. I’ll also share some of my basic editing techniques.
what to bring:
A smartphone with the VSCO photo editing app installed, a notebook and pen, and your favorite mug. You’ll also want to find a space in your home with nice natural light (next to or near a window is ideal).
Follow Rebekah on Instagram here.
sign upsunday, july 19 at 2 p.m. EST
celebrating identity & ritual
in a modern jewish household
what to expect:
Join Kristin Eriko Posner and Rebekah Lowin for a conversation on celebrating identity, rituals, and traditions in a modern jewish household. Kristin will share her experience on updating her own Japanese American and Jewish traditions, and how she’s blended her own cultural practices with those of her Ashkenazi Jewish husband’s family. We’ll talk about the top two things that often prevent people from playing with (and/or honoring) their traditions, and we’ll do a few perspective-changing exercises together.
what to bring:
A pen, a notebook, and an open mind.
Read an interview with Kristin here, visit her blog here, or follow her on Instagram here.
sign upsunday, july 26 at 2 p.m. EST
how to build a daily meditation practice
with adriana difazio
what to expect:
Join meditation teacher Adriana DiFazio to learn how to build a sustainable meditation practice that can fit into your everyday life. In this 1-hour workshop, we’ll learn the basics of meditation as well as the key components of making it a successful personal habit. No prior meditation experience necessary!
what to bring:
Find a comfortable and private space in your home. Choose a cushion or chair to be your new, consistent “meditation seat.” Bring a poem, piece of reading, prayer, or chant that is special to you, a candle or incense, and a stop-watch or clock that isn’t your phone. Participants can visit Adriana’s website for additional resources.
Visit Adriana’s website here or follow her on Instagram here.
sign upsunday, august 16 at 2 p.m. EST
barre class with erin stahmer
what to expect:
Come get your sweat on during this 45-minute barre fitness class with instructor Erin Stahmer! This won’t be your typical barre class. You’ll focus on functional movements (think squats, lunges, and the like) that are easy to follow and that will both elongate and strengthen your muscles. You’ll walk out feeling toned, centered, and ready to take on your week.
what to bring:
Wear clothes you’re able to stretch and move freely in. No props are necessary—we’ll be using our body weight to create resistance—but feel free to bring a yoga mat if you’d like some extra grip.
Erin is a two-time National Solo Dance Champion, holds a BA in Dance from Columbia University, and has training in Hip Hop, Ballet, Contemporary, Barre and more. Follow her on Instagram here.
sign up
Question 1:
I am interested in the color theory class however, I am scheduled to work on this day. Will the lesson be saved so it can be viewed at a later time?
Question 2:
The color theory class is in two parts, is the second class on the 24th? I am interested in the watercolor floral monogram as well and on the 24th this class is also at 2pm EST
If the classes are saved for future viewing are they saved in each teachers IG account?
Hi Karen! Thanks so much for writing – it’s so great to hear you’re interested in the classes! To answer your questions:
1. Unfortunately, this time around, we aren’t able to record the classes or release them at a later date – mainly in an effort to maximize the donations to HIAS & keep the overall experience intimate. I’m so sorry about that, and wish you were able to join us! However, we *will* likely do all of the classes again at a future date (fall 2020, winter 2020, etc.!), and by that time, maybe we’ll be able to work out a way to record and release them for future viewing while still maintaining the integrity of the donation-based model. Stay tuned. 🙂
2. Yes, there are two parts to the watercolor classes, though you can also opt to take each part independently and still have no problem following the lesson. Color Theory & Watercolor Basics is on the 17th at 2pm EST, and Watercolor Floral Monograms is the following Sunday (the 24th), also at 2pm EST.
I hope this answers all of your questions, and again, I’m sorry if you’re not able to join us this time around! Hope you have a beautiful rest of the week.
xo,
Rebekah