Jews Talk Racial Justice - Ep 2: Rosh Hashana, Prince, Visions, Both Big and Small
QUICK EPISODE OVERVIEW
As they prepare for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, April and Tracie explore their thoughts about the holiday, kavanot or intentions and racial justice visions for the new year, and even ideas about discussion topics when meeting someone new at shul.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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April and Tracie reflect on how they view t’shuvah or “returning.” What does t’shuvah mean to you?
How do you approach new seasons or new beginnings? Do you have any meaningful practices or rituals that you practice?
Tracie reminds us that antiracism is a practice. With t’shuvah in mind, how will you be returning to the practice of antiracism?
We are now in the year 5781. If celebrating the Jewish New Year is part of your practice, what were your intentions this Rosh Hashana? How are you leaning into them? How might they have changed?
Tracie tells us that “it's really easy for people with white skin, or white privilege, to fall into ‘performative allyship’” in racial justice work. If you are white and/or have white privilege, can you identify any instances or actions that were purely performative? How might you reground yourself in genuine allyship and solidarity this season?
INSIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE
“How can we, as Jews who are committed to justice, leverage the sanctity of Rosh Hashana, of this day of the season, of the days of awe, to advance our racial justice work?”
“I think it’s really easy for people with white skin, or white privilege, to fall into performative allyship. Am I doing this because it is the right thing and advances racial justice? Or am I doing it so that I could get a cookie, an ally cookie? And have someone who, like you, or another friend of color say, ‘Thanks, you’re one of the good ones.’ If that’s why I’m doing it, then it’s for the wrong reason. I really want to get deep behind my own intentions and make sure that I’m not centering myself in it, that I’m not doing it in an unhealthy way.”
“So for me, it’s wanting to really focus in this year around, as a woman of color, accessing more of my power, dissolving the walls that have been established within me that keep me from knowing and leveraging the fullness of my ability and power.”
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