Ep 105: How are you this Elul?

As we move through this sacred and deeply reflective Jewish month of Elul, it is the perfect time to look backward at what has been and forward at what can be. We’re inviting you to engage in some meaningful reflection and let us know how you’re doing and what’s been on your mind and heart (we have a form for you! Click the link below.) And, you’re invited to join us for one (or both!) of two conversations we’re having later this month where we’ll share our community’s insights and be together as we engage in cheshbon hanefesh (accounting of the soul). 

Take the survey and sign up for our 9/20 or 9/22 event:
https://joyousjustice.com/elul

Join our mailing list at https://joyousjustice.com

Share your insights or ask us a question at https://joyousjustice.com/jews-talk-racial-justice-questions.

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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

Read about the Shmita Year: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/what-is-shemita-the-sabbatical-year/

Discussion and reflection questions:

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

Transcript

Tracie: 0:00

The month of Elul is the perfect time for looking backward and reflecting on what is while simultaneously envisioning a better future. We're looking to you listener to help us see both what is and what beauty can be.

April Baskin: 0:19

This is Jews talk racial justice with April and Tracie

Tracie: 0:23

a weekly show hosted by April Baskin and Tracie Guy Decker.

April Baskin: 0:26

In a complex world change takes courage.

Tracie: 0:29

Wholehearted relationships can keep us accountable.

April Baskin: 0:33

Tracie, I want to have a lil' chat with you.

Tracie: 0:41

E-lul chat. L-I-L'.

April Baskin: 0:44

E-lul, E-lul chat? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And we want to collectively have as you thought to say, so it's a little more so my cheesiness is a little more clear. We want to have a little, a little chat with our peoples in the next within the next couple of weeks during this sacred potent, deeply internal time of Elul. Yeah, so what am I talking about? Tracie, do you want to say a little bit more of the context of what am I talking about? For those who are not in the know yet?

Tracie: 1:25

Sure, yeah. So as we as we're wrapping up this Jewish year, this Shmita year year of release, a rule is the final month before the month of tissue before the month of Tishrei. And, and the High Holy Days. And I don't know why this sports metaphor comes to me, because I'm really not a big sports person.

April Baskin: 1:50

Tracie, I love your metaphor. So I'm excited to hear what this metaphor is.

Tracie: 1:55

I hope so now that now there's like too much too much hype on it. So it's a lot of pressure, but it's fine to have a little as, as the warning track, like on the baseball field, you know, when the when the fielder is like backing up to catch the ball, there's like a set amount of the field that's dirt or gravel, not grass, so that they know they're approaching the wall. While they're doing what they're doing facing away. And I sort of think of a little almost like a warning track before the High Holy Days is is like a chance to like, slow down, get greater awareness of our contexts and our surroundings. And also what's going on inside. And out. Yeah, and so I'm excited for our little a little chats to help us but also like our broader the broader us, our peoples, you listener to to do what the warning track does for fielders and give us a little situational buffer.

April Baskin: 3:06

Beautiful buffer, and I realized it's probably more of like a conversation. So thank you for the Judaic context. And then to layer on top of that, I've been really, really curious and I raised it with my team. And as per usual, they were like, Yay, sounds cool. And also, here's some also additional ideas to enhance this even further. And I really want to know where people are between the and I have a sense I see it. I hear it in different ways, but especially during this deeply reflective month of a rule. And the season. And summer has ended and are not fully who if sorry, if I stress anybody out, sorry. But we're we're in a season of transition school has started up for most kids and adults who are in school. This is a period of transition and not insignificant transition in the broader context, not that it is ever insignificant of so much has happened in our country relating to racial justice and injustice. The pandemic dynamics happening globally around war and oppression and hopeful progress in various ways. There's just a lot that's happening right now. And I personally have been engaging in a deep process of transformation over the last three years increasingly so and recently earlier this month, shortly or or not, within the last 30 days, reached a climactic moment of of shift and alignment into different parts of my becoming. And so I know that I have changed. And I've also noticed, we've noticed our whole team has noticed. And so my other colleagues have noticed that folks have also changed in other ways to that different behaviors or the ways that people typically act online. There's some shifting and adjusting conversations have shifted. And I'm just in a moment this a rule knowing where my beloved's and I are around different things, what is same and what is wildly different, whether it's in the concrete, physical, or just in our mind, and heart and all around our desires, but a number of things are shifting, and I think during this time have a rule that is so introspective, something that can support all of us is taking some time to check in. And so we wanted to give you an opportunity, a number of you will, if you are on our email list. And if you're not yet, and you would like to be you can just go to Joyce justice.com. And you'll receive an immediate prompt to join our list. Our email list if you'd like to join and be a part of our community and other forms, other conversations we have, that we are sharing with you. Oh, and also and if you either don't want to or missed it or whatever, or would just like to access the information more quickly. If you go to joyous justice, the link for this reflection form, which I don't think I've actually talked about yet, will be in our show notes. And also, if you just go to joyousjustice.com, if you just go to joyousjustice.com/elul, that's e as an elephant, L U L, you will get access to this reflection form. And it's questions it has a number of questions, I think, nearly none, or we haven't fully decided if I don't think any of them will be mandatory. And it's just an opportunity for you to share with us what's going on in your world. And you can select to have it sent to you to also have a record of what's going on in your mind and heart in this moment about what's going well for you. What do you feel like is where shift happening. And we want to do this, in part, to know where our people are, where are our folks in this moment in our diversity and in our uniqueness. And then after that in within a couple of weeks on September 20 and 22nd, we're going to host live conversation calls where we will share some of the top line insights and various quotes anonymously, obviously, unless someone says in there things like I want people to know who I am if you want to share this. But just share out different trends and patterns and just different voices, because in light of all of the transformation that and also just challenge. So partially part of its there has been transformation. And also there's a bunch of nascent transformation where a number of us have noticed different things. But it's not that the world has fully changed, but we've shifted by the things that have impacted us. And so I feel like it can just be helpful, like the thing that the phrase that just keeps coming up in my mind, Tracie and beloved listener is like anybody else also feeling this way? Like whatever I'm thinking like, there's gotta be other people out there who are who are thinking this, am I not alone. And to do it in a context, a joyously just context with the joyous justice team that is super non judgmental, and is committed to healing and love and wants to engage in the practice of deep listening and partnership. So we want to take time on these live calls. And we're doing too because we know our schedules are demanding and can be totally bonkers. So we want to provide two different times for folks to be able to tap in and join us. All of that information will also be on the survey. So if you need that information, it'll either be in your email inbox if you get our emails or on the reflection form. And you're also invited to to sign up for the event even if you don't check in and share your thoughts with us and you just want to hear what other people reflected and shared but I think that this is a moment when togetherness can be super helpful for all of us and can support us in encouraging us to start to engage in cheshbon hanefesh of deep reflection, soul reflection and evaluation and also and or help alleviate some of the pressure to hear that other folks are grappling with different things. And I find that it definitely helps when people are navigating similar experiences. But even if they aren't just to hear that people are grappling and what they're grappling with gives me more safety to dive more deeply into the work that I'm doing.

Tracie: 10:29

Yeah, I also want to name to that even in an individual sense, like we have found with our participants. And also just I personally find that actually being heard or making embodied, whether it's through vocalizing or writing down, the things that are on my mind, and heart is healing. And we found that that is true for our participants as well. In part for me, for me, it's because when I let it sit up here in my head, or, or weigh on my chest, it feels so big, whatever it is, whatever the it is, it just feels so big. And then when I actually take the time to speak it, or write it, I realize it is in fact finite. And I can handle it. And it doesn't, when I when it remains on vocalized or unwritten, I don't always believe that I can. But getting it down, and exhausting those thoughts, or getting out and exhausting those thoughts, for me at least, helps put boundaries or bounds around whatever it is that is weighing on me, and allows me to what's the word I want to use? Let go of it a little bit, I guess. And so I think that were the I was excited about the survey idea.

April Baskin: 11:59

Sorry, I was gonna say the word that came up when you asked that question. Was like relief, like to have a little bit of relief of not solely holding it ourselves.

Tracie: 12:10

Yeah. Yeah, I think that one of the things that, as the team was excited about when you first proposed something like this April was that, I mean, it's, it'll be really interesting and helpful to sort of see where folks are at and that will help us to meet, meet needs, and meet folks where they are and nurture what needs nurturing. But even more than that, even for someone who just does the survey and doesn't show up to the event or doesn't, you know, listen to the follow up, I think even the act of doing it will be useful and helpful and nourishing in and of itself. And I think that's one of the reasons that the team was excited about this idea when you first proposed it.

April Baskin: 12:53

Yeah, and so I. And so the idea of the sessions, which I think I did, I forgot to say is that the live calls that we're going to do, and it's going to be the same thing, just offered twice. And so you can pick one that works for you, and or if for whatever reason, you're like, Oh, I really love being in this safe and supportive, and joyful, inquisitive space, I would love to do it twice. You're also welcome to do that, because each call is actually going to be quite different, we will likely share a similar set of insights and gems and just interesting bits of, of information and data. That came back qualitative data that came back to us from what people shared. And then the rest of it is going to be us facilitating group and or partner chat with all of you and giving you time in pairs or in groups to talk about some of these different themes, how it relates to you how it aligns or doesn't align with your current perception, and then come back and engage in group conversation and think about next steps. So it's intended to be a live active space for us and to an opportunity with the joyous justice team with a liberation and love and counter oppression focused team and trauma informed team to just be in conversation with each other, as Tracie said, to give you a process to process things, and do it in a way to know that people who care are actually going to be reading this and processing it and integrating it into the ways that we lead in the world going forward. And, and circling back to some of the conversation that we had a couple two episodes ago. We're in the midst of really exciting, a really exciting pivot in different ways around our podcast and also the ways that we operate more broadly. are stepping into more courageous and bold leadership in a number of ways. And we are really excited to weave our collective voices and intentions into that as we step into that new reality. So this is exciting for me also, just as someone who heavily studied social science in school and wrote a thesis that was based on qualitative input through interviews, and also reflections and surveys that people did. This, personally is something from my academic angle, and also from my community building and community organizing background is a passion of mine, I really love hearing where people and specifically my peoples, which you all are, which you are, where people are in a given moment, and how that intersects and diverges from where our team is, and how we can be engaging in conversation, not only in this live call, but in the months ahead and helping from our vantage point in the ways that we can be in a committed and loving relationship with each other directly and indirectly. Through the materials we provide, through the ways we show up and through the ways we offer space for each other. Was there anything else you want to say, Tracie?

Tracie: 16:36

I think you're pretty, you covered it pretty well, I'm just I'm really one of the things that I, I don't know that I learned it from you, but you model it in a way that I don't know, that I've ever seen before April is the idea of relationship before task. And that as a as a value and a mode of moving through the world, even in our workspace, especially in our workspace perhaps. And I that feels so alive and real in this in our plans for this survey instrument and how we intend to use it and, and actually just moving forward in the ways that we're we are pivoting following your lead. So I just wanted to name that explicitly that this feels important and liberatory as a as being

April Baskin: 17:30

Yeah. And to that to that into like, we collectively have been even as I've endeavored to do it from a joyful place. But a lot of us have been in survival mode, and also in release mode. And also just there's just a lot that's been happening. And so I just think it's a really nice change of pace and feels really sweet to me and also deeply who we are to just pause at the end of this. As we approach the end of this year. During a little I think I actually think I want to call it like a little a little conversation because it's slightly more than a chat, although it is a chat, but you know, it'll be an hour each test a conversation. Combo, maybe combo, I don't know. Y'all see where we land when you where we ended up landing on that front. When you when you click the link there when they do it. Yeah, when you go to join.com/a Little or get the email in your inbox, or go back and look at it if you're anything like me, like when an email came through? Let me let me go find it. But I think I don't know that I fully said that. The idea I was inspired by something you said about relationship for tech right of just just having a moment for you to receive an invitation from joyous justice from April and Tracy and Sarah saying we're checking in about how we're doing how are you doing? What's really important to you? What are your hopes What do you care about what are what is bothering you? What's what's taking up too much, and what's going on in your brain, right and what's going well and being able to share that being able to get a copy back of it yourself as a moment and then know that we are receiving it and listening like for you to like press Send which is like a debarti and then for us on these live calls and through a variety of other ways to say Shemati, we we heard you and we want to hear you and just engaging in a bit of relationship without a specific end goal in mind other than us having a chance to express ourselves and so it also be with wild For us to kind of keep an eye out of that to, perhaps for each of us, Tracy to also fill it out and, and have our thoughts and reflections also, like so that it is fully collective for us to just be in relationship and say, Here's what's coming up for me, here's what I'm thinking about this a little this September. Here's what's on my mind and heart by identifying yourself and or anonymous, but not and or, or anonymously, because you know who you are. And that's the most important piece, share it with us. And then for us to read and process this and come back and say Shrimati and and here are the things we heard engage in a collective Shrimati. And then check in about how it's feeling for us, and also what other How does this feel? How does hearing these things for all of us further clarify what we want and don't want, further clarify, in a very Jewish way, what other questions we have, that we're bringing, that we're carrying, that we're honoring, that we're holding in our hearts and minds as we move in the days that follow those calls into Tishrei into an incredibly holy time, hopefully, knowing that we are each very much on our own spiritual journey. And at the same time, we are deeply a part of a collective, and we are far from alone. And we care about what other people think, which is partially hopefully why you're joining those calls, because we all it's not just our team, it's collectively, we have a desire to be heard. And we have a desire to hear and listen and know where we fit in this collective fabric that we are continually weaving as we move into hopefully, a brighter, more whole future that is grounded in relationship and that supports us in fulfilling badass ambitious and or just right sized tasks that are in service of our needs, and also our highest aspirations.

Tracie: 22:22

May it be so.

April Baskin: 22:25

Yeah, yes. Ken y'hi ratzon, and we look forward to reading what you say and sharing it out and being in conversation together soon and much love in the meantime. Thanks for tuning in. Our show's theme music was composed by Elliot Hammer. You can find this track and other beats on Instagram at Elliot Hammer. If this episode resonated with you, please share it and subscribe. To join the conversation. Visit us jewstalkracialjustice.com where you can send us a question or suggestion, access our show notes and learn more about our team. Take care until next time and stay humble and keep going