returntothewilderness

[returntothewilderness]

Ok I've decided to make some basic resources for anti-Zionist Jews who feel really alone and want to connect with each other or with our culture or history.

Reading List

Traces of History: Elementary Structures of Race

The Making of Jewish Revolutionaries in the Pale of Settlement

Twenty Years with the Jewish Labor Bund A Memoir of Interwar Poland

Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews

Colonial Paradigms of Violence: Comparative Analysis of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Mass Killing

The Holocaust and the Nakba: A New Grammar of Trauma and History

With Freedom in Our Ears: Histories of Jewish Anarchism

A Fire in Their Hearts: Yiddish Socialists in New York

How Jews Became White Folks: And What That Says About Race in America

Modern Middle Eastern Jewish Thought: Writings on Identity, Politics, and Culture, 1893–1958

A History of Egyptian Communism Jews and Their Compatriots in Quest of Revolution

The Sultan's Communists: Moroccan Jews and the Politics of Belonging

On the Arab-Jew, Palestine, and Other Displacements: Selected Writings of Ella Shohat

Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew

When We Were Arabs: A Jewish Family’s Forgotten History

The Arab Jews: A Postcolonial Reading of Nationalism, Religion, and Ethnicity

(Do also check out Decolonize Palestine for the original resources as well as the reading list that centres Palestinians themselves)

News and Magazines

Jewish Currents [United States]

Treyf Podcast [Montreal, Quebec, Canada] (sadly defunct but you can listen to their older, archived podcasts which include some great interviews)

Edit: I think it's also worth adding The Electronic Intifada. It's not explicitly Jewish, but it often features interviews with and opinion pieces by anti-Zionist Jews while primarily being an outlet for Palestinians themselves.

Organisations

Jewish Voice for Peace [United States]

IfNotNow [United States]

Independent Jewish Voices Canada [Canada]

Jewdas [United Kingdom]

Jews Against Fascism [Australia]

Dayenu: New Zealand Jews Against Occupation [Aotearoa / New Zealand]

Sh'ma Koleinu – Alternative Jewish Voices [Aotearoa / New Zealand]

Synagogues

Tzedek [Chicago, Illinois, United States]

Chavurah For A Free Palestine at Kehilla Community Synagogue [Piedmont, California, United States]

Edit: Have also been told I can add Kadima Reconstructionist Community [Seattle, Washington, United States] to the list!

#this is a wonderful list #free palestine #anti zionist jews

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SWANA/MENA people defending themselves from ethnic cleansing and settler-occupation violence are called "terrorists. So are their neighboring countries trying to help stop the violence. So are those in the diaspora. So are those who speak out against the violence

The narrative never changes, just the SWANA countries being bombed at any given time

The intensity of post 9/11 Islamophobia and the racism towards the SWANA community was so bad that even *today* Muslims and Arabs are seen as untrustworthy, violent, traitors when speaking out against the western violence in their region. Their own lived experiences viewed with hesitance and suspicion

The SWANA community, especially Palestinians, have lived through constant surveillance, hate crimes, discrimination, censorship, defamation, and profiling. Right now, the west is hoping those last 20+ years spent villainizing the region will majorly pay off as they attack additional Arab countries

In spite of spending 20+ years of going through this scrutiny and violence, Muslims and Arabs are loudly and angrily protesting the ONE HUNDRED DAYS of an ongoing genocide in Palestine with still no ceasefire. They're doing this even if it significantly increases the harm aimed at them

They have to, their homelands, family, loved ones, and culture all depend on it regardless of the consequences

So when the white upper-middle class refuses to do something as simple as boycotting starbucks while vaguely claiming to be against genocide - what does that mean for the rest of our rights? If you don't have an accessibility need, or live in a food desert, there's no reason to not be getting coffee literally anywhere else. It's not an essential item no matter how much you like it

And if you won't give up a specific brand of coffee when *genocide* is at stake, what happens as more rights are stripped away state side? By the same politicians being paid by these massive corporations? The bar is devastatingly and shockingly low

Being seen as inherently "more trustworthy" in society due to their well-mannered approach to discussing genocide and other devastating system oppressions, the white upper-middle class & upper class can have big sway on public opinion here. Their actions and words are assumed rational and trustworthy. That's why we see white anti-zionist Jewish people being given more credibility on Gaza than Palestinians living through it and the diaspora. It's wrong, but this is the world we live in

This is the main reason why the white economically comfortable class are being asked to risk something and take a principled stance against the genocide in Gaza. The risks faced are smaller yet yield much larger gains

It's been infuriating seeing people with platforms and sway refuse to do something as simple as not ordering a starbucks coffee. I don't care if you have no tie to the region, that you didn't make biden use your taxes like this, or that you think it's just a cup of coffee with no impact. Palestinians have clearly stated why BDS works

It's one brand, it's such a small and insignificant thing

And yet, 100 days later we still haven't gotten a ceasefire. tens of thousands are dead. But, yknow, enjoy your genocide-funding coffee.

#free palestine #palestine #text post #save palestine #jews for palestine #bds #boycott israel #boycott starbucks #keep boycotting #fuck starbucks #anti zionism #anti zionist jews

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#free palestine #palestine #save palestine #jews for palestine #ceasfire now #free gaza

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we’re all a hagar cast to the streets

homes burned to ashes at our feet

i roar a disconcerted beast; bared teeth

mane of curls in black ink

motionless as the deserted

bombed decayed remnants

of our peace,

our jewels stolen transported

put on display for you and you

our blood diamonds forged through

generations of war and lost ghosts

stumbling through the remains

looking for home

hagar,

where did your humbled scraped knees take you when your heart’s blood ran dry devoured by greedy fiends using you to fuel their agenda:

a messiah a president a wall a vote a body a vessel for a tyrant a life by the numbers,

how many brothers and sisters have we lost

today and how many more must we bury before the world ever knows that we created, loved, sang, danced

existed as everything but the monsters you paint us to be

we lit a candle for a new beginning in spring our shadows cast wayward to the dessert where hagar and i belong

we can’t go back home

there’s no yellow brick road

only the corpses of my people

—

i wrote this poem in 2021 while thinking of all the invasions and occupations the swana region has been through; what palis are going through, what generations of my family went through, and how devastating it is to witness and endure. parsha lekh lekha never fails to upset me as hagar is one of my favorite figures in torah. a young girl taken as a slave and made a mother, only then to be exiled on her own, baby ishmael in arms. hagar was left to fend for herself and her infant child in a vast world that had only shown her cruelty. as we learned from cain, exile is one of the most awful things to happen to someone, it is too great to bear. and yet palis are made to wander in the remains of humanity’s cruelty.

#free palestine #swana #mena #poetry #hagar

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What good is a birthright

#free palestine #judaism #text post #parashat toldot #torah portion #anti colonialism #anti zionism #save palestine #palestine #jewish commentary

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To Palestinians from an Arab Jew,

It breaks my heart to see how much this cruel world has failed you. I hope people check in on you, I hope you have ways of taking care of yourself and loved ones during this onslaught of biased media. I hope you know how many people see your humanity, your right to freedom, your stories. There are people who will continue to be loud for you and amplify your experiences. People who will advocate for you and refuse to be silent and complicit in these crimes against you. Palestine keeps a flame lit for those who believe in freedom, who believe in caring for land, who believe in the human spirit. One day you will be free to return home.

From the river to the sea it’s Palestine.

In solidarity and love.

#from the river to the sea palestine will be free #free palestine #jews for palestine #save palestine #amplify palestinian voices #anti zionism #viva falesteen #anti colonialism #colonial violence #settler colonialism

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Shana Tovah U’Metuka! 🪞

A gut gebensht yor! 🤍

Anyada buena, dulce i alegre! ✨

Soli nav mo(bo)rak boshad! 🕯️

May you have a year of wonder, magic, and justice; fill yourself with the syrup of ecstasy, leisure in the bounty of Oneness; endless.

What are some of your wishes for your New Year?

What will your celebrations look like?

What is your menu for tonight?

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bad climate anxiety and covid grief hitting hard today

#judaism #chronic illness #disability #climate crisis #climate grief #collective grief #text post #climate anxiety

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On Community Teshuva

This Elul, I would love to see Jewish spaces acknowledge that they have ostracized disabled and chronically ill community members. Teshuva is a vulnerable, often times painful reminder that we do fall short in areas of our lives. No one enjoys being in the wrong, no one wants to admit their actions had consequences that harmed vulnerable people, no one wants to hear that their beliefs are based in bigotry. Yet that’s what teshuva will require of those who want to be better allies to disabled community members.

It begins with a genuine understanding that regardless of how you see yourself, your actions and inactions have directly impacted disabled people around you. It’s acknowledging that accessibility can look completely different from what you expected, and to question biases and frustrations that may come up. It’s holding yourself and those around you accountable for addressing needs, even when you hit roadblocks and want to quit. It’s doing this tzedakah because you know it means the difference between disabled Jews being present and being left behind.

What can Synagogues and organizations do to create community teshuva?

Hold monthly meetings to discuss updates on accessibility and new access needs.

Read books and articles by Disability Justice leaders.

Have periods of time where Tzedakah go towards meeting access needs.

Check-ins on disabled community members who are isolating.

What else do you think Jewish organizations need to do to work on ever present ableism?

#disability justice #judaism #disability rights #jewish holidays #accessibility #chronic illness #disability #text post #tzedakah #teshuva #high holidays #disabled jews

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Signs From the Disabled LGBTQIA+ Community: submission by yours truly, @maghrebipunk / @pqdj_archive (ig) livethrushit (tumblr) Jamie Riley, they/he is out of Chicago & Providence.

I made this sign feeling like the lgbtqia+ community was disrespecting our history by excluding/overlooking/being hostile towards those of us that are sick and disabled. I read the book ‘Let the Record Show’ a comprehensive look at what activist groups, namely ACT UP!, did to fight the Regan era negligence and deliberate death sentences. There’s so much we should be learning from them; there are so many wonderful disability advocates teaching and creating new ways of caring for each other through covid. but everyone is exhausted, distressed, and running on empty. The larger lgbtqia+ community has a moral, ethical legacy to uphold by caring for us and i’m just not seeing it. It’s hard. I send all my love to disabled and chronically ill community members this pride month.

Signs From the Disabled LGBTQIA+ Community is a project showcasing signs made by disabled LGBTQIA+ community members who feel left behind by the larger queer community. Especially by making pride and queer events inaccessible and not covid safe. All of us deserve to have our voices heard even if we can’t be at an event. All of us deserve community safety.

Submissions are open all month! DM me or send an email. Share with your friends who aren’t on IG. Let me know your name (or how you want to be credited), pronouns, general location if you’d like, and a small blurb if you have one. If you need the email lmk. You do Not need to be Jewish to submit. At the end of the month these submissions will be made into a collage.

#my artwork #collage art #collage #pqdjarchive #disability #chronic illness #pride2023 #mask up #covid isn't over #disability justice #jamie riley

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Signs From the Disabled LGBTQIA+ Community: submissions by cherubimscloud (top) and fightcovidnola (bottom). Cherubim goes by they/he pronouns and is in New Brunswick, Canada. Xava is out of New Orleans, Louisiana. Both submitted via Instagram.

Signs From the Disabled LGBTQIA+ Community is a project showcasing signs made by disabled LGBTQIA+ community members who feel left behind by the larger queer community. Especially by making pride and queer events inaccessible and not covid safe. All of us deserve to have our voices heard even if we can’t be at an event. All of us deserve community safety.

Submissions are open all month! DM me or send an email. Share with your friends who aren’t on IG. Let me know your name (or how you want to be credited), pronouns, general location if you’d like, and a small blurb if you have one. If you need the email lmk. You do Not need to be Jewish to submit. At the end of the month these submissions will be made into a collage.

#disability justice #disability rights #accessibility #pride month #pride 2023 #pride signs #pride2023 #lgbtqia+ #chronic illness #art #protest sign

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my poem welcoming sivan & preparing for shavuot; an ode to those who taught me and will continue to teach me. to those who brought me home to myself.

picture: one of my favorite trees to visit in providence, rhode island

by jamie riley aster / pqdj_archive on ig

#poems and poetry #jewish holidays #shavuot #trans poetry #pink flowers #my words #trans jews

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hey make some signs with me!!! if you’re lgbtqia+ & disabled, send me a sign you would have carried at an event. i wanna show them because while we may not be able to be present, we certainly will be heard. so let’s do this thing.

i’m accepting submissions from now through the end of june and will be sharing them throughout pride month/june. message me with your questions.

lots of love & solidarity

#lgbtqia+ #pride month #disability community #disabled #lgbtqia+ art #accessibility #pride2023 #disability justice #pride signs

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i have a difficult time with counting the omer. between adhd, depression, and watching all the anti-trans attacks, i tend to forget to stay grounded within the new day.

much like our ancestors were weary, scared, and uncertain after leaving egypt, we’re living through similar uncertainty and new fears. the hope is that we make it to sinai at the end of the omer. that we have something good waiting for us. but holy shit is it hard with all the violence & bloodshed aimed at the trans community. may we all make it to a better life.

#judaism #counting the omer #shavuot #poem #i havent written poetry in a hot minute #my poerty #trans #trans rights #trans jews #by riley aster

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if you’re overwhelmed by all the information regarding the legislative attacks on the trans community and/or would like to learn more and get involved in different ways that are accessible to you, here are resources!

you will find ways of contacting your reps, scripts for calls and/or emails, different ways of searching and tracking legislation, different avenues of advocacy, news outlets, and a walkthrough of the resources.

these will be continuously updated as more resources are shared and found.

this can be accessed over at pqdj_archive on instagram as well

#trans rights #trans community #pqdj_archive

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posted by outlivethemnyc on ig

constantly on my mind

#we will outlive them #linking the fights against antisemitism and transphobia #trans liberation #jewish history

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Next year in safety & rest

for: trans youth, the trans community as a whole, bipoc trans women, disabled people, those still in pandemic isolation, climate activists, the working class, those who experience police violence, palestinians experiencing exile & apartheid, jewish communities experiencing antisemitic hate, indigenous land defenders, cop city protestors, mutual aid workers, the water we drink, the drying lakes, animals and their changing ecosystems, the trees, the fields, the earth, the mentally ill & mad, drag performers, neurodivergent people, people grieving gun violence, and everyone else who is exhausted but sustains on glimmers of hope.

#judaism #passover #pesach #jewish holidays #next year in freedom #next year in safety and rest