Over 50 of the most exciting voices in Jewish arts and education have lent their voice to narrate episodes of G-dcast.com. A new web cartoon launching on Simchat Torah this year, (to tie in with the Jewish practice of starting to read the Torah from the beginning on that holiday), episode tells the week’s Torah portion in 4 minutes or less of fun, vivid animations. Some episodes are straightforward storytelling, while other parshiot are told as country songs, hip-hop tracks or mystical discourses on the nature of the universe.
For example, in one episode, Jewish dating columnist and blogger Esther Kustanowitz tells the story of Vayetze through the “baby mamma drama” between matriarchs Rachel and Leah. The perfect voice to narrate the scheming and competition between the women who were both in love with Jacob, the veteran blogger delivers humor, hilarious anachronisms and a straightforward style that engages the listener…and provided our art team with loads of great material. When teens and adults alike see the pregnant Leah in a Baby-on-Board mumu, they laugh out loud.
G-dcast’s goal is to raise basic Jewish literacy amongst youth and young adults in an accessible fun way. In order to affect as wide an audience as possible, G-dcast is delivered online for free. The series will also be available as a video podcast, so the cartoons can be watched and collected on ipods and mobile phones. Sarah Lefton, founder of G-dcast.com seeks to bring Jewish literacy to many populations of Jewish youth, and beyond, who often don’t find relevant and accessible content from or about Jewish texts. The commitment to raising basic literacy springs out of Lefton’s experience growing up in a town with little to offer Jewish youth (Columbia, South Carolina). Lefton envisions G-dcast as a tool for teachers, counselors, youth group leaders and parents. But it’s not just for kids. “We’re also really excited about adults - who maybe don’t know these Torah stories as well as they’d like - loading these up to watch at home or on an iPod,” Lefton said.
Lawrence Kushner narrates the first episode, Bereshit. Check it out below, and visit http://g-dcast.com/ for more info on the project, and to see other episodes throughout the year.
