Tikkun Down South: Sweet Tea & Sacred Resistance

As antisemitism rises in our streets, schools, and politics, how do we build solidarity that protects both Jewish communities and democracy itself?

In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, we're lifting up the layered, powerful stories of what it means to be Jewish in the US South today. From sacred rituals to real-talk resistance, this episode explores identity, resilience, and chutzpah in pursuing the moral imperative to fight for a better world.

This month's guests—Abby Levine, Lisa Forehand, Ashley Lasher, and Stephanie—bring wisdom, warmth, and bold honesty to a conversation about collective repair and radical joy, grounded in tradition and justice.

About Abby: Executive Director of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, Abby has helped grow a national network of Jewish organizations working at the intersection of identity and justice. A seasoned organizer and Senior Schusterman Fellow, her leadership spans progressive campaigns, racial equity initiatives, and movement-building across faith communities.

About Ashley: An Asheville native and lifelong part of the Jewish Community Center, Ashley leads the Asheville JCC with a focus on joy, inclusion, and ritual. With deep experience in nonprofit development, she works to build spaces that uplift Jewish life and push back against antisemitism through community connection.

About Lisa: Lisa is a culturally Jewish interfaith minister, statewide organizer, and seasoned nonprofit leader, currently serving on the Carolina Jews for Justice leadership team. With a background in intercultural training, philanthropy, and spiritual care, her work bridges traditions and communities to cultivate justice, healing, and sustainable change.

Jewish history teaches us that when one group is targeted, all of democracy is at risk. And in the US South, where sweet tea meets sacred resistance, the fight for justice carries its own flavors of courage. 

🎙️ Don't wait! Pull up a chair, pour yourself something sweet, and hit play.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:04

We're profoundly, profoundly interconnected.

Speaker 2 0:07

We don't always live that way, we don't always acknowledge it, but if we're going to heal, we have to live it, experience it and create institutions that celebrate it. Can we create a we where no one's on the outside of it?

Speaker 3 0:20

Welcome to the Uplift with Zedek.

Speaker 4 0:22

Real talk for real change. Before we jump in, a quick reminder of why we're here and what we hope to achieve. We're here to build authentic community relationships and help fuel social transformation in Asheville, north Carolina. We believe collective liberation is not only possible but probable as we share, listen and learn together. We're here for the process. However, the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Introduction to Jewish American Heritage Month

Speaker 2 0:49

So it's May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, and also Jewish American Heritage Month, and I think that's an intersection that really can frame today's conversation. We're living in a moment where anti-Semitism really isn't just creeping into the cracks, it's being weaponized. You know, right out there in broad daylight, it's showing up on our streets, in the schools, in our movements and certainly in our politics, and while Jewish people are often on the front lines in naming it, resisting it and surviving it, anti-semitism isn't just a Jewish problem. It's a threat to the very idea of a multiracial, multi-faith democracy. At the same time, jewish communities across the US and right here in western North Carolina are holding tight to something powerful Joy, resilience, ritual identity and a legacy of resistance that spans generations. You know la dor vador.

Guest Intros

Speaker 2 1:47

So today we're joined by three incredible guests who are not only directly impacted by anti-Semitism but also deeply committed to dismantling it. Their lives and work offers lessons, challenges and visions that we all need right now and we all need all the time. This is a conversation about identity, power, solidarity and survival. And before we get into these questions for each of our great guests, tell us a little bit about you, the work you do and what part of it feels most alive for you right now. Abby, do you want to kick us off?

Speaker 5 2:23

Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month with this group of incredible folks. My name is Abby Levine, I live in my hometown of Washington DC and I lead a network of 64 Jewish organizations called the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. Just a word about me. I have a husband who's an engineer. I have two kids, who I love embarrassing by trying to say the latest slang.

Speaker 5 2:50

I love living in the town that I grew up in and I'll say that things at work these days are hard in the world of Jewish social justice, of organizations and leaders sort of bringing their Jewish lives, their Jewish traditions, their Jewish histories to the work of justice and making the world better.

Speaker 5 3:10

So things are hard, but I'm seeing real grit as well and as we work at the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, our work is really to strengthen and align our organizations, Jewish social justice organizations, in order to, on the one hand, make justice a core expression of Jewish life, the other hand, create a more equitable world.

Speaker 5 3:30

So right now it does kind of feel like our values and our identities are under attack from all sides and the fear and the fatigue is real. And yet I see people around me leaning into the traditions of our ancestors of joy, of hope, of determination that you were just talking about. Just as a quick story, my son's bar mitzvah, which is a celebration at the age of 13, was in Washington DC just two weeks after inauguration, which is a really weird time in this region. Which is a really weird time in this region. Many were worried about their departments being cut, if they worked for the federal government, being laid off, if they were at all connected to the federal government, which many people here are. And yet we sang and danced and celebrated a 13-year-old boy marking the sacred ritual of adulthood, because that's part of what we need to get us through this time of fear and threats.

Speaker 2 4:25

So, holding both of those, Well, mazel tov On the bar mitzvah.

Speaker 5 4:30

Thank you. Yeah, it was an accomplishment for the whole family.

Speaker 2 4:32

Yeah, Awesome, ashley, would you like to do your intro?

Speaker 3 4:38

Sure, I am Ashley Lasher. I am a second generation Asheville native. I am Jewish, I'm the granddaughter of German Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, I'm the mom of two awesome, hilarious, powerful young women, and I'm also the executive director of the Asheville Jewish Community Center, which is a space that has been very meaningful to me throughout my life and I know is meaningful to many in our Jewish community and also in our non-Jewish community. One thing that I've been thinking about recently that feels really alive right now is the intersectionality of all of my different identities and how I'm just like this small representation of the diversity. Lisa, how about you as individuals, which for me includes being Jewish and among a lot of other identities?

Speaker 2 5:46

Lisa, how about you?

Speaker 1 5:47

Me next. So my name is Lisa Forehand and I work with Carolina Jews for Justice, which is a statewide organization, although my role here is more specifically in Western North Carolina and even more specifically in Asheville. I have been in Asheville for over 25 years. More than 25 years raised my kids here, so, while not a native, I feel very connected to these mountains. Carolina Jews for Justice's purpose is to build a grassroots network of people who educate and advocate and take action towards a more fair and just and compassionate North Carolina, and we hold a big tent as an organization, which is hard. But I am right now particularly alive because there is a growing group of leaders in the West that are forming and getting ready to take action together in a new formation, so I'm particularly excited about that.

Tradition of Discussion & Debate

Speaker 2 6:47

Awesome, all right, so I'm Ze Christopoulos I use he they pronouns, and I am part of the Tzedek Social Justice Fund. I serve as the director of Mindful Operations and Finance. There's so many identities that we all hold, and I am Jewish and actively practice Judaism. That's one of my identities. Transgender person that's another one of my identities. And what feels alive for me right now are a lot of the connections of the different identities, and I think that each of us in our introductions have touched on that.

Speaker 2 7:19

And for me, there's a big tradition of discussing and arguing as Jews, internally right. So we do that as part of our faith tradition, as part of our history, as part of what connects us across the generations, and that's something that does feel alive, you know, and as Jews we don't agree on all things. We come from many different backgrounds, many different places, many different beliefs. Backgrounds, many different places, many different beliefs. You know, what to me is important is when we can all come together in a room and talk about what is important for us and the very philosophies that we hold on to that allow us to thrive in these moments, and how we can survive and how we can respectfully listen to each other, hear where our differences lie and where we can come together and what we do have in common and the values that are important to us. So that's what's making me feel alive in this time of spring, as well as having some aliveness in my kiddo and my partner.

Exploring Jewish Identity & Response

Speaker 2 8:21

Having a three-year-old really makes you be in the present moment. Yeah, so let's get into it. So what does it mean to be Jewish in this moment? What does a Jewish response to these times look like to you, lisa? What about you?

Speaker 1 8:39

I think the question what does it mean to be Jewish? In this moment strikes a particular chord around what is Jewish and that we are not a monolith. You know, we like to say, like once you've met one Jew, you've met one Jew. So some of the Jews that I work with are secular, some are Orthodox, some practice, some are atheist or agnostics, and so I think it's hard to say what it means to be Jewish, because even being Jewish is so. There's so many layers of being Jewish. I will say that the ongoing war in Israel-Palestine is incredibly challenging for our community and polarizing, and I'm not sure that there is a Jewish response to all of that. But what I hope is, as we look at issues from a faith perspective, a Jewish perspective, that we would bend the arc towards justice and good and find common humanity in light of it being such a troubling time.

Speaker 3 9:29

Powerful common humanity, in light of it being such a troubling time, powerful. What it means to me to be Jewish in this moment is what it means to me to be Jewish in any moment, which, for me personally, has a lot to do with ritual, both Jewish ritual and family ritual and community ritual. Then the other pieces really are around family and community, and these are not exclusively Jewish experiences of ritual and family and community, but they are deeply embedded in who we are as Jews, and so I think that it both enriches our lives and sets us apart, while also connecting us to other cultures who also share these values. And Zeke said something a few minutes ago that I want to also raise up around what it means to be Jewish right now and always, is that part of our culture is disagreement and valuing disagreement as a tool to better approximate the truth.

Speaker 3 10:28

And I recently heard this incredible story from the Talmud, one of our sacred texts that has really spoken to me in this moment. The story shares about Rabbi Yachanan and Resh Lakish, who formed a chavruta, which is a sacred study partnership, and these two men formed a very close bond and relationship and they challenged one another and met and discussed Torah and debated Torah and one day, something that Resh L'Kesh said really insulted Rabbi Yochanan and severed their relationship through the time at which Resh Lakish passed away and Rabbi Yochanan was mourning his friend deeply, profoundly, and all of his living friends were so worried about him and so they found him a new study partner, a new chavruta. So he started meeting with this new study partner and the new study partner agreed with everything that he said and Rabbi Yochanan said who is this guy?

Speaker 3 11:30

I already know how good my ideas are. I don't need somebody else to tell me how good my ideas are. Rish Lakish challenged me. He had 53 arguments against everything I said and because of that, I was able to better approximate the truth, better learn Torah, go deep in my own belief system and better understand others, and I think that that is such an important story for us to remember right now that, rather than dividing ourselves among ways in which we may believe differently from one another or we may have a different experience or a different feeling about a big topic or issue, that we actually are learning so much when we are debating and challenging one another, and doing so in a respectful and loving way where you can maintain your friendship and your relationship throughout, it only serves to better all parties and truly community and humanity.

Speaker 5 12:27

I love that. I love hearing that story. Thank you for bringing it to this conversation. I agree, disagreement is important in Jewish communities.

Speaker 5 12:35

I think, for me, part of what I love about being Jewish is the focus on this world and our actions here. You know, there's a serious obligation in Judaism to partner with God or a higher power, however one thinks about that to partner with that higher power in the work of tikkun olam, which means of making the world a better place. We're actually obligated to do that work while we are here on this earth, to create systems and cultures that include all of us, with no exceptions, both for our own Jewish community and for the world that we live in, and it's an obligation deeply rooted in our tradition. It's a moral obligation, but it's also a self-interested one, in my opinion, and how it plays out right now. Because, as we've been saying, jews are not a monolith. Jews come in all colors, shapes, sizes and backgrounds. You know, not all Jews are wealthy, despite that stereotype. In fact, a recent study found 19% of Jewish households in the US either can't make ends meet or are just managing to make ends meet. And we're not all white. About 15% of young Jewish adults are people of color. There's a huge chunk of us 10% are LGBTQ and about 20% are estimated to have a disability. So when we work for justice or equity or a world where everyone can thrive, it's actually for ourselves as well as for others.

Speaker 5 14:03

So I think that's part of what it means to me to be Jewish in this moment is to be remembering and holding all of those different identities in the way that I walk in the world and the way that I act in the world. It's funny for me to like remember that Judaism is both a religion and an ethnicity. It can be confusing Like you can be Jewish and, like Lisa was saying, like not even go to synagogue or you can go every week and you don't have to believe in God even to be Jewish, because a huge part of what it means to be Jewish is our food, our holidays, our sense of peoplehood, and for me that's really real. That being Jewish in these times and always is about cooking traditional food like matzo ball soup with my family, and also about fighting back against the authoritarian patterns that we're seeing right now patterns that we're seeing right now Some folks may have heard about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man so close to me where I am, who was improperly deported and sent to El Salvador from his home in Maryland with no due process, and there's a huge fight going on in the courts and with the administration right now about that.

Speaker 5 15:06

But you may or may not have heard that his lawyer is actually a Jewish man, simon Sandoval Moshenberg, who, even though not all Jews know each other, I do happen to know him, but he was recently interviewed and when he was asked what motivates him to defend immigrants like Garcia for his whole career, he referenced his grandfather, who was a survivor of the Holocaust, and he said quote I'm not going to sit back and let someone else do the work of resisting fascism. I don't have that luxury For me. That really resonates in this moment.

Speaker 3 15:39

Another thing that I really love about Tikkun Olam, which is what Abby has really so beautifully shared with us, is that part of our teaching is that we are not obligated to complete the work of Tikkun Oam or repair of the world, but neither are we free to desist from it, and I think that's exactly what you're sharing right now. Absolutely yeah, I have that on my wall. It's both inspiring and comforting in hard times.

Speaker 2 16:04

Yeah, it does you know, and one of the Jewish traditions that I think about when we're talking about living in difficult times is around rest, you know, and Shabbat and keeping Shabbat. It's something that I'm talking about with Jewish leaders, with all kinds of faith leaders, with everybody who is involved in social justice movement work. It's how exhausted we all are and how tired we are exhausted we all are and how tired we are. And for me, when I can root into my Jewish faith, my Jewish traditions, and really rest and have that time to be with family on a weekly basis, that does a huge amount of recharge for me. I love the depth of everyone's insights into what it means to be Jewish and what Jewish responses may be.

The Antisemitism Threat

Speaker 2 16:51

In this moment I've also been thinking about anti-Semitism, right? So how does anti-Semitism threaten Jewish safety as well as democratic possibility, and are there any warning signs that anti-Semitism is being used to kind of erode American democracy? What's at stake if we fail to respond? So small question, does anybody want to jump in there and take a swing at that one?

Speaker 1 17:18

I can start. I'm guessing that a lot of the people that are listening probably don't know about Project Esther, which is at the top of my mind right now in terms of anti-Semitism. There's lots of definitions of anti-Semitism and the folks listening may or may not know them, and I am not concerned with wordsmithing about anti-Semitism, because I think what's more important than the actual definition or having a definition is the context in which anti-Semitism is used. When I speak with folks that maybe are not steeped in being Jewish or having a daily experience of it, sometimes we'll hear anti-Semitism more referred to, you know, in the 1930s in Germany, and I think what I would love for listeners to know is that anti-Semitism has many more implications in the current context than that. It can be old tropes around Jews controlling everything, being all-powerful even to where, in the Black Lives Matters movement, jews were blamed, because you know and I'm not saying this, but it was said, how could Black people organize their own movement? Of course there must be Jews behind it. These are tropes that maybe we don't see as anti-Semitic, that are anti-Semitic, and I'm helpful that we all know that that's happening on a daily basis, just in the way that we are talked about.

Speaker 1 18:30

I would say that right now, for me, what is most salient about anti-Semitism, in its current form and, as Zeke was asking, in its affront to democracy, is through something called Project Esther. I know many of us know about Project 2025. You've probably heard that. You heard it on the campaign trail, but what you didn't hear about was Project Esther, which is written by the same foundation, the Heritage Foundation. It's really. It instrumentalizes anti-Semitism.

Speaker 1 18:55

We call it like smokescreen anti-Semitism to fight against having free speech, civil rights and to bring down pro-Palestinian movement. There's a plan and it's being used and it's being implemented and they're saying what they said they do in terms of anti-Semitism, using anti-Semitism. It was not written by Jews, it was written by predominantly Zionist Christians and it really does use anti-Semitism for its own purposes. It's a direct affront to democracy. It's a direct affront to the fact that due process has not been followed and 14th Amendment rights have not been followed. It's being used in that way as a smokescreen for what this administration wants to do. You know, I think that if we think that this administration is standing up for Jews by attacking universities, perhaps for their ability and their students to have free speech my experience of anti-Semitism is in this administration is that they are not speaking for us, or with us, or by us.

Speaker 3 19:53

They are using it instead to directly tackle democratic principles and rights and also democratic possibility is there is both actual and perceived threats to Jewish safety on all sides of the table in this moment. Sometimes it's overt, like a swastika being painted in a roadway in Waynesville, and sometimes it's more veiled, like discounting Jews, disbelieving Jews, blaming Jewish people, holding them responsible for the actions of a foreign government or for the actions of our own government here in the United States, and this feels eerily familiar for Jewish people. We are paying attention and it also sets us on very high alert.

Speaker 5 20:51

Within our Jewish community right now, there's a strong sense of anxiety around anti-Semitism, with the feeling that it could come from anywhere at any moment hear that a lot and feel it myself, because the way that historically anti-Semitism has happened, which is it can be happened very quickly, out of the blue seemingly I hear a lot of Jews sort of wondering if this will be a country that will have to flee and I know we're not the only group in this country having those kinds of conversations, but it is certainly present in ours which is a really hard and painful thing to have to say out loud and for those of us who sort of both see that and are working to try to counter anti-Jewish hate and anti-Semitism, it's just a lot. So, coming back to the importance of Shabbat and the importance of rest is really real. You know, I've just heard lots of heartbreaking stories of young Jewish students being hurt physically and emotionally, excluded from conversations and discussions because of their Jewish identity. Sort of. To state the obvious, hundreds of synagogues have received bomb threats or had swastikas painted on their doors, including my local synagogue had received a bomb threat. You know, I would just echo, you know, the piece around Project Esther, which is a really devious report that was written without consulting any Jews, that recommends targeting and bringing down any pro-Palestinian organization as well as all dissent and liberal civil society groups, and we're seeing that play out.

Speaker 5 22:23

It uses the excuse of caring about Jews and caring about discrimination against us to squash an entire sector, and then that pattern is the same one as what the administration is using to target higher education. They're using the concerns about anti-Semitism as the reason to pull funding from universities. Some Jews on college campuses are now worried about being blamed for their schools losing funding on top of all the other dynamics where they're being held responsible for the actions of the state of Israel. So the blaming and the scapegoating is something that we're seeing now in really significant ways. You know, anti-semitism is one of the classic tools in an authoritarian toolbox. It's not actually about us as a community, it's about a more authoritarian society and it's like historically a very effective way to scapegoat a small, relatively lesser known minority group for the real problems that everyday people are facing. As depressing as it is, I do find hope in sort of naming it in a group like this and complexifying it and making it both simple and complex so that we can understand what's happening around us.

Speaker 3 23:33

I think anti-Semitism can be a particularly difficult form of hatred to spot. There's a phrase that anti-Semitism is often punching up, so by claiming that Jews are all powerful, that's a punching up form of hatred which can be harder for folks to notice and understand that it is actually a form of hatred and a tool that is used as you mentioned, abby.

What Does Solidarity Look Like?

Speaker 2 23:59

It is definitely used. Many Jews feel silenced and feel like I can't speak out about a number of things because of who I am, how it will be received, and I think there's definitely sometimes in areas where there aren't as many of us thick on the ground, which is really everywhere in the world, but especially in some communities like this. Am I the representative of my race, of my ethnicity, of the Jewish people? When I speak and there's a real fear around that I think about how Jews stand in solidarity and say not in our names, not in my name. That brings me to the theme of solidarity In your work and in your life. Where have you seen solidarity show up in ways that felt real, reciprocal and healing?

Speaker 3 24:45

One of the ways I've seen solidarity showing up is in authentic interpersonal engagement, and by that I mean just somebody asking questions and really listening to the answer with an open heart, not making assumptions. Coming forward with curiosity and an interest in hearing what my experience or what the Jewish experience is like in this moment, has been a really important form of solidarity.

Speaker 1 25:12

You know, when one marginalized group is targeted, it targets all of us. Some of the ways that this has showed up and that have been really heartening is that over Passover, the second night of Passover, there were 18, which is an auspicious number for Jews, meaning life and 18. 18 rabbis came out and they crafted a courageous message calling the Trump administration to reverse their course on deportation and adhere to democratic norms. And that was courageous in and of itself for these 18 rabbis to do that. But what was so heartening to me was that after that went out, we put out a call and asked North Carolina interfaith leaders and clergy. As of today, 184 North Carolina clergy and lay leaders responded in support of that.

Speaker 1 25:57

I'm an interfaith minister, so maybe it's what speaks to me and makes me feel more comfortable claiming my Jewish identity but also realizing that there's many paths and that we can come together to make a difference.

Speaker 1 26:06

So that's particularly heartening to me in solidarity, that we stand together, because when one of us falls, we all fall. I'll also give an example of. There were flyers anti-Semitic flyers that were put out in Greensboro and Raleigh and some of our non-Jewish allies picked up the flyers. They picked them up off the lawns, so they sort of reduced harm. And then they came directly to us, to Carolina Jews for Justice, and said what do you want us to do with this? And we're like, give it to us, we'd like to look at it. We also really appreciate that you picked those up and that people didn't have to experience that, experience the trauma if you were Jewish but also read stuff that we don't ever want out there, I just feel like there's been so much support and coming together. That is heartening to me as a way for me to feel safe, honestly, for Jewish people to feel safe that we're not alone and that some folks understand and have our backs as we would. Theirs Works both ways. So it's heartening to me and thinking about solidarity in that way.

Speaker 5 26:56

Yeah, I agree that. You know, whenever there are multi-faith, multi-racial coalitions, where that include Jews, that's, that's helpful. So really any signs of solidarity is where where the hope is, and I've been working lately with in one of those kinds of coalitions around diversity, equity and inclusion sort of talking about how that's necessary for an inclusive, multiracial democracy where we can all thrive, including Jews. Diversity, equity and inclusion is still legal and necessary in this country. One executive order doesn't change that, and it's a place where the fear is real, right, there are people changing titles, changing language, changing positions, changing websites, and yet there's people who are standing firm and standing strong and we're reminding each other that including my own Jewish families that diversity, equity, inclusion is a work in progress. So, if you take a step back and think about it historically sort of first existed its roots are in fighting Jim Crow and then as affirmative action, and while it did focus initially on Black folks and racial justice, it has expanded as a framework to include gender, class, religion, ability, sexuality and more, and it's actually the place where people you know can and should and do learn about Jews and our stories, along with the stories of other minorities in this country, and those efforts are especially important right now, when the stories that are being told are trying to be narrowed or limited.

Speaker 5 28:30

We, as Jews, are people of telling and retelling stories. We want our stories and other people's stories to be told and retold, and it's a moment when it's really important to be saying that out loud because, like one example, the National Park Service has recently removed references to Harriet Tubman from their webpage Underground Railroad Like it's not a theoretical thing, it's actually happening. You know, I think solidarity right now is being able to say that multiple things can be true at the same time, and, as Jews, from across racial and ethnic observance and economic backgrounds, we reject the dynamics of division and fear and instead embrace a vision of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion that includes all of us and is rooted in a commitment to help each and every one of us thrive. And so seeing partners in the broader equity world talk about anti-Semitism acknowledge that it's a problem that DEI needs to include telling Jewish stories. It's incredibly healing, and I would put this podcast in that category as well.

Supporting Jewish Organizations and Community

Speaker 2 29:38

That's awesome. So, speaking of solidarity and support, how can listeners plug in to support you, your community, your organizations and the work that you're each doing?

Speaker 3 29:50

I think listeners can plug in to support our local Jewish community by one learning. Listening to this podcast is a great start. Learning about Jewish experience, jewish diversity, jewish intersectionality, I think is incredibly important. And also physically show up If you're interested in Jewish culture or food or music. The Asheville Jewish Community Center is open to the community far, far beyond just the Jewish community, and so one of the most fun ways to learn about any community or culture is through their food and music and dance and togetherness. So I invite listeners to come on over.

Speaker 2 30:45

Any fun events on the immediate horizon.

Speaker 3 30:47

Absolutely so. In the summertime, every other summer, the Asheville JCC hosts a series of parties called Parties Around Town, and each party has a different host and a different theme, a different target audience, and so there's going to be a jazz concert on the lawn. There's also going to be a cooking class and a pottery class, a pool party and everything in between. So that would be a really fun way to like come experience something new.

Speaker 2 31:20

So could one go to jcc-ashvilleorg to learn more.

Speaker 3 31:24

They sure could Wow Awesome, You're better at this than I am. But again, really just like, learning and gathering, I think are two really really important ways for people to plug in and provide support and, yes, you smiling over there.

Speaker 2 31:46

How can people plug in support, get involved with you and your organization?

Speaker 5 31:50

So we have a website as well jewishsocialjusticeorg. You can see kind of the 64 organizations including Carolina Jews for Justice that are out there doing different versions of this work, and you can learn about them. Sign on to their email list and get a sense of the incredible ecosystem of Jewish leaders and organizations that are working on this every day. And then I would say like share this podcast with someone in your life who you think could learn something from it. You know, show up in your communities and in ways that Lisa and Ashley are talking about, and I try to practice this as well, like open our minds, hear from different people. We're very used to hearing from the same people over and over again. It's actually like an active resistance to get out of our bubbles and search for voices and leaders who are saying things that you haven't heard before.

Speaker 2 32:42

Thank you.

Speaker 1 32:44

I don't know if we talked about this, but I feel compelled to talk a little bit about intersectionality in this piece. In doing justice, jewish justice work, sometimes I'll show up in spaces and people, will you know, look at me like why are you here? Who are you? So I present as white, which is true for many Jews, and historically, jews claimed whiteness as a path to security, and yet I think we also have pieces of being oppressed, as we've talked about today in terms of anti-Semitism, and have a history of that, of not feeling like we're going to be, like any place is going to be hospitable for us for a long time. So I guess what I'd like people to know about what we're doing in our community is it is that intersectional piece. We do hold multiple identities and we can be Jews of many hues or we could be LGBTQ. We may not be as we seem, as we assume that you probably don't feel like who's ever listening, that you are only one thing as you may present, and so I would want folks to think about that, think about why we might be in the fight with you, because we have a reason to be. We know where undemocratic regimes take us. I also would want folks in terms of support. You know, I think sometimes we let Jewish joy sit at the table, and joy is a really big part of being Jewish, and I think joy is a form of resistance and I hope that we can share with others and we can also express ourselves in ways of joy.

Speaker 1 34:04

Carolina Jews for Justice has a monthly Shabbat potluck which I would invite folks to. Anyone is invited, jewish, non-jewish, affiliated, not affiliated. If you don't want to get out there and hold a placard with us at a rally like this might be a good way to just find people that are like-minded, progressively minded, so that you may see them in other places. And that's all. On our website at carolinajewsforjusticeorg, partner events are on there too. Yeah, I hope that we can come together in the hard times, in resistance, but also in joy.

Speaker 2 34:35

Awesome, yeah, that's.

Speaker 3 34:37

It's a big part of the why.

Speaker 2 34:39

Yeah, thank you all so much for this conversation. Really, you know, covered some depth and some breadth. Hit the high notes of joy. Got really real about a lot of things. One of the things that keeps resonating for me is, as a kid in Hebrew school really learning about the reason why Jews fight for justice is because we've always been a small group in number and if we don't stand up for other people, how can we ever expect others to stand up for us? And along with the intersectionality piece that we all contain, multitudes we all are of so many different identities. So, just again, thank you all for this amazing conversation today on the Uplift.