Tzedek Lab Network Gathering
Coordinators: Helen Bennett, Enzi Tanner, Rachel Plattus, and Reuben Telushkin
What does it take to build a just, vibrant and joyous multiracial democracy? Tzedek Lab is a multiracial national network of Jews and allies, political educators, organizers, spiritual leaders, and cultural workers established to build collective competency to better politicize, transform, and inspire the Jewish community into collective action against racism, antisemitism, and white supremacy. Tzedek is Hebrew for justice. Our Network Gathering will convene members to thicken relationships for the times to come — exploring the intersections of our work to dismantle white supremacy, white nationalism, racism and anti-semitism. We will dive into necessary, yet difficult in-person conversations and build movement culture together. Practitioners will leave with a renewed connection to the collective power of this national community — with “hevruta” learning partners and a community of practice. We will gain tools and resources for strengthening our local work fighting white supremacy, white nationalism, racism, and antisemitism.
Call for Participation
Our Gathering will focus on some key questions: How have we been successful in confronting these oppressions? What has been our experience as the fight has escalated for some of us? How are we supporting each other, backing one another, and building the momentum we need for our collective liberation to be realized? Our regular network activities consist of community of practice calls for political educators, organizers, spiritual leaders, and cultural workers; active online sharing of resources, opportunities, and strategic interventions; and racial and ethnicity-based caucas calls.
Over 2018-2019 we held four in-person gatherings alongside some local city gatherings. At AMC, we have the powerful opportunity to strengthen our communities of practice and caucus spaces by deepening our relationships in person and connecting with the other conveners at the conference. As a community of practitioners, we will debrief action and mobilization moments, cross-pollinate and learn from each other’s experiments, explore new connections and partnerships, and strategize together.
We will dig into analysis together, sharing insight about intersections and impacts of white supremacy, white nationalism, antisemitism, racism, and Islamophobia in the US and Israel/Palestine. We will grapple with how to bring our broader Jewish community along in understanding and embracing Jews of all racial and ethnic backgrounds as part of our communities. We will wrestle with barriers to building trust with one another and our allies, and invest in each other as a family in this work.
Contact
For more information contact Helen Bennett at helenmiriambennett@gmail.com
