Ep 110: Simchat Torah, Essential Letters, and Why ALL of Our Life Curricula is Needed (Reprise)

This week, we’re bringing back last year’s juicy conversation about Simchat Torah (lit. “Joy of Torah”) where Tracie and April discuss some of the holiday’s traditions. The symbolism of the holiday--appreciating the totality of the Torah and starting the cycle anew--illuminates for ways we can do the same with our own life and racial justice curricula. 

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Find April’s TikTok videos here: https://www.tiktok.com/@aprilavivabaskin 

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Find April and Tracie's full bios and submit topic suggestions for the show at www.JewsTalkRacialJustice.com

Learn more about Joyous Justice and join our mailing list: https://joyousjustice.com/

Support the work our Jewish Black & Cherokee woman-led vision for collective liberation here: https://joyousjustice.com/support-our-work

Learn more about Simchat Torah here: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shemini-atzeretsimchat-torah-101/

Remember Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, z”l, and learn more about his work here: https://rabbisacks.org/

Check out, This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared, by Alan Lew, here: https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/alan-lew/this-is-real-and-you-are-completely-unprepared/9780316739085/

Check out more from Yoshi Silverstein here: https://mitsuicollective.org/who-we-are/

Learn more about the history of the Mourner’s Kaddish and Rabbi Akiva here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/282142?lang=bi

Listen to our previous episode about our Life Curricula here: https://joyousjustice.com/blog/jews-talk-racial-justice-ep-53

Read and use our discussion and reflection questions for this episode (from 2021):
https://joyousjustice.com/blog/jews-talk-racial-justice-ep-56

More discussion and reflection questions:

What in this episode is new for you? What have you learned and how does it land?What is resonating? What is sticking with you and why?What feels hard? What is challenging or on the edge for you?What feelings and sensations are arising and where in your body do you feel them?