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Yom Echad (Day One) - Chaos
The universe was void and formless.
Yom Echad (Day One) - Spirit of God
And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep.
Yom Echad (Day One) - Light
And there was light.
Yom Sheni (Day Two)
And God separated the waters above from the waters below.
Yom Shlishi (Day Three)
And dry land appeared, and the plant world.
Yom Revi'i (Day Four)
God made the sun to light the day, the moon to light the night, and the stars.
Yom Chamishi (Day Five)
And God brought forth the creatures of the sea and of the air.
Yom Shishi (Day Six) - Beasts
And God created the large beasts of the field, and the great crocodiles.
Yom Shishi (Day Six) - Human Beings
And God created human beings in his image.
One of the most intriguing names for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is Yom Ha-rat Olam, “The Day of Creation.” It’s the birthday of the world. That’s my favorite thing about this holiday: honoring the creation of the universe. So much of my work is about awe, and the creation myth touches this theme so deeply.
I’ve always loved using text as texture, a compositional element. Here, the Hebrew verses touch on a slice of Jewish mysticism, in which the letters themselves are charged with divine energy. These are the actual verses of the first chapter of Genesis, which become, for me, vehicles of organized divinity flowing through the creation story.