Fourth Jewish Climate Action Conference

Dig into the world of Jewish eco-poetry as we read and discuss selections by Hila Ratzabi, Sabina Messeg, Monica Gomery and others. The poems presented will vary in their expression of the human relationship with and response to the more-than-human world, ranging from a deep sense of connection to profound grief or raging protest. The function of eco-poetry in expressing grief and as a tool for protest, resistance, and resilience will be explored. Participants, including those who have never written a poem before, will discover at the end of the session that they have created a Jewish eco-poem for the times.

This is a workshop in Laughtivism.
Laughtivisim is the use of humor to undermine authority and open minds. Satire and humorous events or social media have been used effectively to combat regimes around the world. Examples are Birds Aren't Real, Yes Men, the Singing Revolution, etc. When people laugh they feel more brave and less alone.
There will be a short explanation of Laughtivism, followed by breaking into work groups based on specific subjects to brainstorm and refine ideas.  At the end of the workshop, groups report back to each other.

The climate crisis is not only an ecological, racial justice, and economic crisis, it’s an issue of the soul. There is much Jewish wisdom that can help us to face fear, cultivate courage, and take action for a just, livable future. This session, based on Dayenu’s Spiritual Adaptation work, will include exercises to help us metabolize the climate realities before us and draw on Jewish texts of resilience and imagination for the work ahead.

When we hear stories, our responses differ depending on if we think it is misinformation or disinformation. We will discuss effective responses to inoculate people against disinformation. We will discuss how the words we use matter when responding to someone spreading mis/disinformation and which words are preferable. These same skills can used when writing letters to the editor, or comments to elected or appointed officials who are using disinformation to manipulate people into taking actions against our individual and collective best interests.