Jews Talk Racial Justice - Ep 55: Sukkot, Shelter, and Sacrifice

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QUICK EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this week’s episode, April and Tracie mark Sukkot and discuss themes around shelter, safety and security, and sacrifice, and the trade-offs that exist which this holiday helps to illuminate for us.

Content warning: descriptions of animal slaughter/sacrifice

All of our episodes have closed captioning.
Access the audio version of this episode here.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. April and Tracie start to discuss some of the themes of Sukkot that resonate with them. What are the themes of Sukkot that most resonate with you? 

  2. April and Tracie remind us of the requirements of the Sukkot, 3 sides with an opening and a roof that allows you to see the stars, among others. What do these requirements relate to the themes that the holiday invokes in you? 

  3. Tracie shares the words of Alan Lew as they relate to Sukkot, and the trade-offs we make for the sake of security and safety. What are the trade-offs in your life? What are the things you are doing to protect yourself and what are you giving up? 

  4. The Hebrew words for “drawing close” and “sacrifice” are related, as Tracie learned from Rabbi Shais Rishon. What does this mean to you? How does April’s story of witnessing and participating in a Senegaleese ritual involving animal sacrifice, help this illuminate this connection for you? 

  5. April describes the feelings of having meals in the Sukkah and how special that feels. What feelings come up when you think about the meals you’ve shared in a Sukkah? What makes it special? 

  6. April wonders, what are the areas in our lives where there are opportunities for fragility that could lead to expansion and newness? What are those for you? What does this look like in an racial justice context? 

  7. April uses the stars to help contextualize her struggles against the backdrop of the larger Cosmos and ground herself. Do the stars help you do this? What are the ways you can find grounding in perspective? 

COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?

Let us know in the comments below!