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Neither the Jewish Emergent Network nor Dimensions are directly endorsing any of the artists, healers, diverse teachers of faith, or other content creators whose work is linked in this challenge. We are sharing the world of spirit equitably with many people as we endeavor to learn more about our need to work together across diverse faith communities to dismantle racism and white supremacy for us all.
White Jews Learning Track
REFLECT:
From Rabbi Scott Perlo (Romemu)
For the times we crossed the street;
For the glances we threw over our shoulder;
For the neighborhoods where we locked our cars as we drove through.
For the way we followed with our eyes in a store, in a mall, on our block;
For the looks: do they belong here? what are they doing here? should I call the police?
For the stares.
For the too-wide smiles;
For “not seeing color” because we had let no people of color in to be seen;
For “can you help me,” when they didn’t work in the store.
For the discomfort;
For asking, “where are your parents from?”
For suddenly changing the way we talk.
For all the things we “saw”;
For all the things we never saw;
For all the “concern”;
For everything we could never bother to be concerned about;
Hatanu; avinu; pashanu. We have sinned; we have strayed; we have committed crimes.
Black, Indigenous, Sephardi/Mizrachi and More Broadly Identified Jews of Color Learning Track
REFERENCE: The Power in Our Eyes Source Sheet by Rabbi Mira Rivera
REFLECT:
To those sins of racism through the glances of eyes
by Rabbi Mira Rivera (Romemu)
I close my eyes and lift up in thought
Up
above body outline
Below, my drained body traced onto earth
Had I been found unidentified
moved somewhere forgotten
Cover me in a rainbow of Post-its
Tell me what you are not telling me
Don’t say that I no longer have need for X
X marks where I worked so hard to
build rationale for belonging
Primping, posturing to be heard,
desired only where patrones factored
utility of me for planning, raising,
funding Spirit
Yes, Spirit
If only someone else paid for it in a
pact with powers that be
What if I refuse to no longer serve
Sensible one, would you care for me?
No running with nowhere to run
Marathon of rainbow Post-its litter my body outline
Below: affirmations, confirmations, pledges of
accountability to Self
Landing each and every which way
Goodbye anonymity, hello neon colors
Stretching in full regalia of self
I am waving arms and torso in the air
“Good point there, but we don’t time for that right now.”
“How about we put that in the parking lot?”
“We have sooooo much to cover.”
“I hear you, I really do but…”
Twenty years I waited curiously for when might the
“right time” be for that which you refuse to see
I am claiming my time
Stealing back my right
Teasing out the thicket
Teaching ourSelves
Torah truth of Power of Two versus your power of
corporate one
Two mythical days I need to recover from salvos
If only it was just two
O to be a giant Membrane Sieve Mesh Container Kli
to hold courage and overgrown scars
Claiming Our Time, Our Space, Our Torah
SanKoFa bird, arch back to Ko in order to go Fa
Arch back to know
We hear what We want and need
for my liberation is tied to your liberation
And your liberation is my liberation
Hearing OurStories puts a chill in my bones
even as memory heats up my ears
of a chair being thrown at my Sister Teacher in a
seminary of all places because she dared to call IT
“Errors were made” – Is that teshuvah?
When we know, we all know
“No one knows who she is”
Punch me in my diaphragm that we should know her name
No time to waste
Life is no day job
“Boz del Puevlo, Boz del Sielo”
“Voice of the People, Voice of Heaven” is no ditty to add
diversity to your festivity
“A time has come when silence is betrayal” is no shtick
