The Joyous Justice Podcast

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

October 13, 2022 April Baskin and Tracie Guy-Decker
The Joyous Justice Podcast
Ep 110: Simchat Torah, Essential Letters, and Why ALL of Our Life Curricula is Needed (Reprise)
Show Notes

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. 

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

Check out our offerings and join one of our programs! https://joyousjustice.com/courses

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

Follow us on Instagram (@joyous.justice), Twitter, (@JoyousJustice), or Facebook (www.facebook.com/joyousjustice365)

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:

  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?