Jews Talk Racial Justice - Ep. 80: Cookies, Impact, and False Competition

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Tune into this episode and read the full shownotes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

QUICK EPISODE OVERVIEW

Inspired by the holiday of Purim, April and Tracie use the practice of giving mishloach manot or Purim baskets, to unpack the difference between intention and impact. (Who knew you could learn so much from fruit-filled cookies?) They also interrogate the relationship between Vashti and Esther, and use them as a metaphor for differently-positioned Jewish Leaders of Color today. The megillah (Scroll of Esther) positions them as competitors, but we imagine what it would look like if they recognized they have more to gain by working together and rejecting the externally-imposed division between them.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Find the audio version with the full transcript here.

  1. Are you familiar with the impact versus intention conversation, specifically in the realm of racial justice and equity more broadly? How have you seen this shift? And, what are you initial thoughts about which is more important?

  2. April talks about how she has been refining where and how she has been applying her compassion and seeing how sometimes her compassion allows room for mistreatment. How do you resonate with this? Do you think it’s possible to be compassionate at the same time as standing up for yourself and your community when there is injustice?

  3. April speaks about how some of her internalized impression is actually “family contracts” and ways that they have had to or been conditioned to survive. What does this mean? Do you have any similar “family contracts", whether it’s from your family or other messaging that you’ve received?

  4. April also describes how her resonance with the female Purim characters (Vashti and Esther) has changed since her childhood. What about you? Who do you or have you resonated with in the Purism story?

  5. She also has us think about what it might look like for Vashti and April to be in communication and support one another and draws parallels with her own experience (and what she has seen) relating to the under-resourcing of Jews of Color, Black Jews in particular. How does this resonate? What can we learn from this hypothetical scenario of Esther and Vashti meeting in this way?

  6. What does April mean when she refers to “neoplantationism”? Have you experienced or seen this? How does this dynamic play out in our society today?

  7. April also mentions that the oppressor often dictates the terms under which those who shared marginalized identities are in relationship or community. What does she mean? What does this look like? Have you experienced this yourself?

  8. Tracie also brings up the way that the megillah positions them as competitors, as do their oppressors. How does this similar dynamic happen today? Where are there elements of competition in society today that are similar to this?

  9. How are you or have you celebrated Purim this year (or in past years)? What have you learned from April and Tracie’s conversation?

COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?

Let us know in the comments below!