Va’yeitzei | ויצא 

Liliana Kleiner, Argentina/Canada        

The process of re-visioning stories by women is in itself the reshaping of ancient myths through our unique, contemporary life experiences. Respecting our elders, we carry the old traditions forward, imagining a world where the feminine principles of receptivity, diversity, and inclusivity evolve. 

In parashat Vayeitzei, Jacob leaves Beersheba and, on his way to Haran, he stops for the night. While asleep, he dreams of a ladder that reaches to heaven. This dream is a metaphor for the search for wholeness of the human soul and signifies the struggle to unite the upper and lower realms of being. Jacob, with his brides, Rachel and Leah, represents the reunification of the divided masculine and feminine energies in our psyche. 

Professional Background  Liliana Kleiner is a visual artist and Jungian dream therapist, born in Argentina, raised in Israel, and residing in the Western Canada wilderness. She is known for her visionary oil paintings and her woodcuts printed on hand-made papers. Kleiner has published two art books: The Song of Lilith, 2007, and The Song of Songs, 2010 (Yair Medina). In addition to her creations on paper, Kleiner works in performance art, dance, film, and video.