Jews Talk Racial Justice - S2E10: Eight Passover Practices for Collective Liberation
QUICK EPISODE OVERVIEW
In the second of two Passover episodes, April and Tracie reveal the liberatory wisdom in eight practices from Passover observance.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
All of our episodes have closed captioning. Click here to access the audio version and transcript on Buzzsprout.
April and Tracie’s eight practices begins with using the practice of the cleaning and removing of chametz or leavened bread as a framework for doing the internal work of deprogramming the internalized oppressions or internalized oppression thoughts and behaviors that reside in the corners of our mind. Thinking on the characteristics of White Supremacy Culture that April references, what are manifestations of this culture that you want to “clean” from your mind? Start with just one and mindfully notice it as April describes.
Using the shift in diet that Pesach invites as a metaphor, what are the media/academic sources and thought leadership that feed and nourish your anti-racist values and soul? Just as our diet ideally has multiple sources of nutrients, is your anti-racism “diet” complete with a variety and diversity of perspectives?
April and Tracie discuss the story of the Four Children and how it reminds us that everyone has different needs and that in anti-racism activism and education, we need to meet people where they are. Who are the people who may be able to hear you based on where they are? Who can you reach that others might not be able to?
Thinking about how the practices of imagining and having a cup ready for Elijah coming to announce the Messianic age, April talks about the importance of remaining open to radical change and possibilities happening. April reminds us that marriage equality is one such example of activists working for decades and seizing an opportunity, once thought impossible, to make change. How can you better cultivate your radical imagination to remain open to possibilities? How do you access your creativity and imaginative headspace?
There is room for the radical possibilities to happen but it is also important to have consistent practices that also include sweetness, like how 4 cups of wine are included in the order of the seder. How can you add sweetness to your consistent practices towards embodying an anti-racism worldview and habit?
Even though we are not fully free, it is important to recognize the moments of freedom and joy that we do have in the present moment, like how we are encouraged to recline and have wine during the seder. What are some of those moments of joy and freedom that do exist in your life?
Pesach encourages us to invite family, friends, and as many as you can to attend your seder, making community central to Pesach. Similarly having community is just as important in anti-racism work. Who are you in community with in your anti-racism journey? How can you expand your community? What spaces can you look to join to build your community?
Tracie reminds us that asking why and how is inherent and encouraged in our Jewish tradition, especially at Pesach (the 4 Children and the 4 Questions). April connects this to the work of anti-racism by being willing to get humble and curious if and when issues arise or someone makes a comment that you disagree with. How does this land with you? How can you replace, as Tracie says, judgement with curiosity?
INSIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE
“What is your diet? Are you feeding yourself sources and thought leadership that support a belief system that is more powerfully anti-racist and liberatory? Are you listening to leaders who not only bring rigor but also compassion and practical tools that help you unpack this? Ideally, you have a diet that has a robust suite of nutrients, so you’re listening as much as you are able to and are ready to, to thought leaders who are edgier and who are really out in front and leading, and who might not make things more practical for you, but help anchor you in a North Star of where you want to be moving toward.”
“Even just for a time, go on a diet, a media diet where you’re paying attention and thinking about things both that you want to bring in and that you want to not bring in.”
“Collective liberation. That’s sort of my phrase for what some may call the messianic era, is when we’ve achieved collective liberation.”
“This is a huge part of, a huge underpinning, in my work with Joyous Justice, is this idea of me always holding out that radical new possibilities are possible.”
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
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