Hi, my name is: Ari Warmflash

Ariel Warmflash is a theatre artist, educator and activist based in Brooklyn, NY. She works on developing original theatre with Jewish communities and public school students all over NYC. Ari enjoys creating inclusive spaces for art-making, food-sharing and soul-building with friends and strangers.

1. What is one of your mini pharaohs?

My mini-est Pharoah is my alarm clock. As a freelance artist and educator there are never enough hours in the day, but sleep is still my go-to form of self-care.

2. What intention are you setting for the week of Passover?

I like to use Passover as a time to meditate on freedom. Not only celebrating it as a part of the  Jewish community, but reflecting on other communities that I am a part of and not, and what work needs to be done in order for more folks to celebrate their own freedoms too.

3. What rituals or wellness practices help you follow through with your goals and intentions?

Seder is one of my favorite rituals of the whole year. The Rabbis gave us a night to do all of my favorite things; gather with family and friends, tell stories, eat delicious food, and become our own coalition of organizers seeking collective liberation - what’s not to love?!

4. As we celebrate the Passover story of freedom, in what ways are you moving from narrowness to expansiveness this month?

I have a lot of transitions on the horizon and I am hoping to channel my inner Nachson (according to Midrash, he initiated the passage through the Red Sea by walking in until it parted) to be brave in taking the first step into the unknown. I am grateful for the comforts in my life, but I have to challenge myself to step outside of them in order to continue learning and growing as an artist, and a human.

5. Which seder plate food are you embodying this Passover?

Charoset! I love that it’s made up of different ingredients, combined to be the glue that holds things together. I want to celebrate all of the sweet, fruity, and nutty aspects of myself! Plus, food has always been my most immediate connection to culture and family. Matzoh ball soup and kugel always bring me home to my Ashkenazi roots, but what I love most about traditional Jewish foods is that they vary to represent Jews from all over the world. Charoset is a perfect example of that - you can find it on any seder plate but it changes based on Ashkenazi, Sephardi or Mizrahi traditions. We are all connected, yet uniquely our own.

This interview is part of our Community Interview Series for Passover!
Read more of the interviews here.