The theme of LABA:House of Study 2011-2012 is EAT. Through our study of ancient Jewish texts we will examine food as a political and economic commodity, religious symbol, weapon of war, ethical statement, source of beauty, and more.

Eating is one of the most instinctual and elemental activities we do. We simply need food to survive. Nevertheless, humans have turned eating into one of the most social and symbolic activities in which we partake. The saying “you are what you eat,” goes much deeper than parents trying to get their kids to eat vegetables. It also hits upon the layers of ethics, fantasy, and aesthetics that humans have applied to this basic biological need.

This year our study sessions and journals will focus on the intersection of food and power, ethics, ritual and desire.