Jews Talk Racial Justice - Ep. 79: On Purim, Joy, and Liberation
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QUICK EPISODE OVERVIEW
April and Tracie think about some of the lessons of Purim: hidden identities, the power of 'no,' the power of being in the right place, the importance of joy, and the links between joy and liberation.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Find the audio version with the full transcript here.
April brings up Purim’s similarity with other traditions around the world that also take place at this time of year - midway through the season of cold and transition - that have us “engage in silliness” and “bring levity and light.” to an exhausting period of quiet and darkness. Do you have any rituals or traditions that have this function, either in this season or in other moments of darkness?
AprIi and Tracie recount how Vashti and Esther each use their power in different ways In the Purim story, what do the characters of Vashti and Esther each represent and stand for? How do you identify with them? And, what do they model for us?
Tracie tells us that the Purim story and Esther’s role and identity in it has prompted her to think more about white Jews and whiteness. As Tracie says, Esther “passed” as the non-Jewish Persian majority, while her Jewish identity was a hidden one. What do you make of this comparison? How might it resonate today, thinking about other identities and this idea and experience of “passing”?
Tracie reads Arthur Waskow’s poem Seasons of our Joy (you can find it here), which includes the lines, “For power is funny. And those who hold power are ridiculous. The first stage of liberation is that we learn to laugh at them.” What does this mean? What can we learn from this?
When reflecting on this poem, April gives us some thoughts about the importance of cultivating joy if we want to move towards liberation. Do you agree? What have you learned and experienced in your own life about creating a foundation, first and foremost, of happiness and vibrations of what we want to bring into the world?
April shares with us some wisdom from two of her grandparents on how they were able to, even through immense hardship, cultivate authentic joy. Think about your own ancestors and others in your life. What lessons can they offer on this?
Tracie and April hope, for us all, that we find ways to celebrate and engage in joy, calm, peace, or whatever adjective. What are some simple ways that you engage in joy in your daily life?
INSIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE
“Do you vibrate more with Esther’s energy of being brought in, of being the chosen person and also someone who is welcomed in at a price, who has to hide parts of who she is in order to be welcomed in, or are you someone who’s a bit more like Vashti, who was like, ‘Un-uh, I’m not playing that game and I’m willing to pay the price’?”
“Whether it’s joy, peace, contentment, power, calm - what if we didn’t have to wait? What if that experience could be less conditional on external circumstances? And how many more circumstances could we start to shift over time if we were able to stay in that place?”
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
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