Jews and Land Study Group - Season 1 - Mondays

This course will run once a week on Mondays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM EST.

The dates will be 12/13, 12/20, 12/27, 01/03 & 01/10

The Jews and Land Study Group is a five-part weekly online gathering to explore a people’s-level history of Jews in relationship to land--from the creation myths of the Torah to the times of sovereignty in ancient Israel, from the diasporas to immigrant farmers in the US. Together we’ll explore books, articles, and other resources on these topics. We’ll learn how we can engage with historical and religious texts in a participatory way, uncovering what stories lie at the grassroots of the past and the truths that endure today. 

As a study group, we will all be participating in the learning and facilitation, and everyone will get an opportunity to shape our discussions through engaging in a popular education model of collective learning. Our hope is to share the knowledge we individually bring to the group, expand into places of interest and mystery, and uncover a level of history that does justice to people who have lived before, who live now, and who will be here when we become the history.

This class (5 sessions) is the first of a four part series, whose goal is to aid us in understanding contemporary Jewish American life through a shared examination of our relationship as Jews to land throughout our history.  Our first set of sessions will cover the origins and foundations of Jewish cultural, mythical, and lived history, spanning from the first humans in the garden of eden to the exile of the Jewish people from ancient Israel and Judea.

Season 1 (origins – exile from ancient Israel)  is a prerequisite for participating in Season 2 (exile from ancient Israel – 1800s), just as Season 2 is a prerequisite for participation in Season 3 and so on.

This course will run once a week on Mondays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM EST.

The dates will be 12/13, 12/20, 12/27, 01/03 & 01/10

The cost of the program will be a sliding scale of $27 - $72 for all five sessions and space is limited to 15 participants.

"The conversations we had about what being a people of exile and diaspora means was incredibly meaningful to me because there are certain aspects of my identity as a Jew that are difficult to untangle but when I hear other people grappling with deeply meaningful questions, I felt so connected to people that I had never met." - Past Participant

About your facilitator:  Shoshana Mackay (she/her) is a beekeeper, compostodian, farmer, and educator. She farmed in Northern & Southern California, Wisconsin, and Oregon before finding her current home in Western NC. She also does live honeybee removal/rescues and teaches workshops on composting, gardening, canning, and queer Judaism. She’s passionate about exploring the nuance and complexity too often left out of our histories while also telling their stories in a way that feels accessible and relevant.

Donate to her gender-affirming healthcare fund here (https://gofund.me/7a01e9ce)