Introduction to Trauma, Healing & Resilience
Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg
In 2017, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College received a generous grant from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation to develop resources for trauma-informed Jewish practice. In recent years, there has been a growing public awareness of the impact of trauma on individuals and communities. This reality is especially true at this moment of national anguish and moral outrage.
Under the leadership of Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg, a 2018 graduate of RRC, we conducted trainings and workshops and developed resources for rabbis, rabbinical students and other Jewish professionals serving individuals and communities impacted by trauma.
Ricardo Levins Morales
טָרַף בְּקַלְפִּי, וְהֶעֱלָה שְׁנֵי גוֹרָלוֹת, אֶחָד כָּתוּב עָלָיו ״לַשֵּׁם״, וְאֶחָד כָּתוּב עָלָיו ״לַעֲזָאזֵל״.
MISHNA: The High Priest would mix the lots in the lottery receptacle used to hold them and draw the two lots from it, one in each hand. Upon one was written: For God. And upon the other one was written: For Azazel.
וּמֵאֵ֗ת עֲדַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִקַּ֛ח שְׁנֵֽי־שְׂעִירֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים לְחַטָּ֑את וְאַ֥יִל אֶחָ֖ד לְעֹלָֽה׃ וְהִקְרִ֧יב אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־פַּ֥ר הַחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֥ד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ וְלָקַ֖ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י הַשְּׂעִירִ֑ם וְהֶעֱמִ֤יד אֹתָם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ וְנָתַ֧ן אַהֲרֹ֛ן עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י הַשְּׂעִירִ֖ם גֹּרָל֑וֹת גּוֹרָ֤ל אֶחָד֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה וְגוֹרָ֥ל אֶחָ֖ד לַעֲזָאזֵֽל׃ וְהִקְרִ֤יב אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֔יר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָלָ֥ה עָלָ֛יו הַגּוֹרָ֖ל לַיהֹוָ֑ה וְעָשָׂ֖הוּ חַטָּֽאת׃ וְהַשָּׂעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁר֩ עָלָ֨ה עָלָ֤יו הַגּוֹרָל֙ לַעֲזָאזֵ֔ל יׇֽעֳמַד־חַ֛י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה לְכַפֵּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו לְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֹת֛וֹ לַעֲזָאזֵ֖ל הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃
Fumbling Towards Repair: A Workbook for Community Accountability Facilitators
Mariame Kaba & Shira Hassan
Fumbling Toward Repair is a workbook by Mariame Kaba and Shira Hassan that includes reflection questions, skill assessments, facilitation tips, helpful definitions, activities, and hard-learned lessons intended to support people who have taken on the coordination and facilitation of formal community accountability processes to address interpersonal harm & violence.
הַסְּגָן בִּימִינוֹ, וְרֹאשׁ בֵּית אָב מִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ. אִם שֶׁל שֵׁם עָלָה בִּימִינוֹ — הַסְּגָן אוֹמֵר לוֹ: אִישִׁי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, הַגְבַּהּ יְמִינְךָ. וְאִם שֶׁל שֵׁם עָלָה בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ — רֹאשׁ בֵּית אָב אוֹמֵר לוֹ: אִישִׁי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, הַגְבַּהּ שְׂמֹאלְךָ.
The deputy High Priest would stand to the High Priest’s right, and the head of the patrilineal family would stand to his left. If the lot for the name of God came up in his right hand, the Deputy would say to him: My master, High Priest, raise your right hand so that all can see with which hand the lot for God was selected. And if the lot for the name of God came up in his left hand, the head of the patrilineal family would say to him: My master, High Priest, raise your left hand.
Analysis, Framework and Strategy
Just Transition Framework Design: Wisdom of Frontline communities and leaders with the support of Movement Generation
Click here to learn more about the LANDBACK movement
Chaplaincy For Justice Source Guide
Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg & Rabbi Ariana Katz
What are the tools that spiritual leaders need to give care to activists and organizers? This guide lists books, zines, podcasts, organizations, and other resources.
9 Solidarity Commitments to/with Incarcerated People for 2021
Mariame Kaba
Are you looking for ways to support and work in solidarity with incarcerated people this year? Here's a simple list of solidarity commitments created by Project NIA director, Mariame Kaba, to offer some concrete ideas and steps.
(יב) דָּבָר אַחֵר, כַּה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ, זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים סט, יד): וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ ה' עֵת רָצוֹן, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא שָׁאַל לְרַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן מַהוּ דִּכְתִיב וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ ה' עֵת רָצוֹן, אָמַר לוֹ שַׁעֲרֵי תְּפִלָּה פְּעָמִים פְּתוּחִים פְּעָמִים נְעוּלִים, אֲבָל שַׁעֲרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה לְעוֹלָם פְּתוּחִים, אָמַר לוֹ מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים סה, ו): נוֹרָאוֹת בְּצֶדֶק תַּעֲנֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ מִבְטָח כָּל קַצְוֵי אֶרֶץ וְיָם רְחוֹקִים, מַה הַמִּקְוֶה הַזֶּה פְּעָמִים פָּתוּחַ פְּעָמִים נָעוּל, אַף שַׁעֲרֵי תְּפִלָּה פְּעָמִים פְּתוּחִים פְּעָמִים נְעוּלִים, אֲבָל הַיָּם הַזֶּה לְעוֹלָם פָּתוּחַ, כָּךְ יָדוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְעוֹלָם פְּתוּחָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים.
Another interpretation: “For what great nation is there that has a God so close at hand as YHVH our God whenever we call? (Deut. 4:7): Rabbi Hanina bar Papa asked Rav Shmuel bar Nahman: What is the meaning of the verse, But as for me, let my prayers be unto You in an acceptable time (Psalms 69:14)? He replied: The gates of prayer are sometimes open and sometimes closed, but the gates of teshuvah always remain open. He then asked him: Whence [do you know this]? [Rav Shmuel replied:] Because it is written, You answered us in righteousness with wondrous works, O God of our salvation; You [who are] the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far distant seas (Psalms 65: 6). Just as the mikvah is sometimes open and sometimes closed, so too are the gates of prayer sometimes open and sometimes closed; but as the sea ever remains open, so is the hand of God ever open to receive the one who does teshuvah.
(א) הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ לְתוֹרָתֶֽךָ וְקָרְ֒בֵֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתֶֽךָ וְהַחֲזִירֵֽנוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶֽיךָ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הָרוֹצֶה בִּתְשׁוּבָה:
(1) Cause us to return, our Father, to Your Torah and bring us near, our King, to Your service; and bring us back in whole-hearted repentance before You Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who desires penitence.
(א) רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם הֲרֵינִי מוֹחֵל לְכָל־מִי שֶׁהִכְעִיס וְהִקְנִיט אוֹתִי אוֹ שֶׁחָטָא כְנֶגְדִּי בֵּין בְּגוּפִי בֵּין בְּמָמוֹנִי בֵּין בִּכְבוֹדִי בֵּין בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר לִי בֵּין בְּאֽוֹנֶס בֵּין בְּרָצוֹן בֵּין בְּשׁוֹגֵג בֵּין בְּמֵזִיד בֵּין בְּדִבּוּר בֵּין בְּמַעֲשֶׂה בֵּין בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה בֵּין בְּהַרְהוֹר בֵּין בְּגִלְגּוּל זֶה בֵּין בְּגִלְגּוּל אַחֵר לְכָל־בַּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא יֵעָנֵשׁ שׁוּם אָדָם בְּסִבָּתִי: יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי שֶׁלֹא אֶחֱטָא עוֹד וּמַה־שֶּׁחָטָֽאתִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ מְחוֹק בְּרַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים אֲבָל לֹא עַל־יְדֵי יִסּוֹרִים וָחֳלָיִים רָעִים: יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי־פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה צוּרִי וְגֹֽאֲלִֽי:
(1) I hereby forgive anyone who has angered me, or sinned against me, either physically or financially, against my honor or anything that is mine, whether accidentally or intentionally, inadvertently or deliberately, by speech or by deed, by thought or by speculation, in this incarnation or in any other: any Israelite [is forgiven], may no man be punished on my account. May it be Your will, Adonoy, my God and God of my fathers, that I shall sin no more nor repeat my sins, neither shall I again anger You nor do what is wrong in Your eyes. The sins I have committed, erase in your abounding mercies, but not through suffering or severe illnesses. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable before You Adonoy, my Rock and my Redeemer.