Israelism

An extraordinary film for anyone interested in understanding fundamental and powerful influences on the American narrative with respect to Palestine and Israel.

Speaker panelists after the film:

Rabbi Shifrah Tobacman is a rabbi, chaplain, and early member of the Rabbis for Ceasefire network. She has recently moved back to her longtime home in Emeryville, CA, after serving for several years as spiritual leader for Congregation Tikkun V'Or in Ithaca, NY. Shifrah was first introduced to Israel/Palestine peace activism in 1982 through New Jewish Agenda. She has been a proponent ever since of an end to the occupation, and creation of a just society in the region that benefits all who live there, upholds the dignity and human potential of each individual, and honors the collective aspirations of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples.

Rae Abileah (she/her) is a social change strategist, writer, facilitator, and Jewish ritualist.  Rae is a contributing author to books including Beyond Tribal Loyalties: Personal Stories of Jewish Peace Activists and Corporate Complicity in Israeli Occupation. As an editor and book project coordinator through her consultancy, CreateWell, she supports award-winning authors at the intersection of spirituality and social change, such as Wounds into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma by Rabbi Dr. Tirzah Firestone. Rae graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University, and received ordination by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute. She, like many Jews around the world, is in a process of unraveling zionist narratives learned since childhood and disentangling this harmful ideology from the Jewish faith her ancestors cultivated with such care for all of humanity. 

Emma Enav (she/her) is a social worker and therapist living in the East Bay. She is grounded in Jewish principles of tzedek (justice in Hebrew) and doykeit (hereness in Yiddish), which inspire her commitment to community-building and collective liberation. Emma has counseled and advocated for survivors of abuse and trauma for 8 years, and currently works as a mental health therapist for youth in Alameda County. She is also an organizer with the Jewish anti-occupation group, If Not Now.