Jews Talk Racial Justice - Ep 66: Shleimut - Wholeness and JOC’s Multi-dimensional Consciousness

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QUICK EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this week’s episode, Tracie and April reflect on the concept of Shleimut, Wholeness, and how it was a driving force for April when she created the Ko’ach Fellowship, supported by Rise Up. April shares more about the Ko’ach Fellowship and together with Tracie, they discuss how healing, wholeness, and peace are all interconnected.

Meet the inaugural cohort of Ko’ach fellows here!

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Access the audio version with a full transcript here.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. April and Tracie open the episode discussing Rise Up and their work supporting the Jewish social justice ecosystem. They are particularly interested in amplifying work that is grounded in spirituality. What do you think of this link between spirituality and sustainable social change? What role has spirituality played in your social justice journey? 

  2. Tracie notes that the Hebrew words Shalom and Shleimut, peace and wholeness, come from the same root word. What do you make of this connection? How might they have connected for you in your life or perception of the world?

  3. Tracie is reminded of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail and the distinction he makes between the absence of conflict and actual peace. What do you think of this distinction? How does it help you understand peace more with this connection to “wholeness”. 

  4. April brings up the “double consciousness” that Jews of Color experience. How does this resonate with your own experience? Are you familiar with the concept of “double consciousness”? 

  5. April and Tracie talk about the delicate line that many Jews of Color have to walk when they are entering a predominantly white Jewish community, often having to “leave their Blackness at the door.” Has this been your experience? Has this been the experience of others? 

  6. Tracie talks about how common it is for programs to center a white experience. Can you think of programs when that wasn’t the case? 

  7. Tracie and April talk about looking at both the micro and macro levels when thinking about the relationship between healing and social change. What do you think about this link? 

  8. April and Tracie talk about how clarity, courage and confidence are essential ingredients to wholeness. What would this look like in your life?

COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?

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