introducing: the feminist teshuva circle
for elul!!
Our community’s narratives of "teshuva" often harm vulnerable people. We are asked to be self-critical when self-criticism itself is something that is a constant, harmful companion; we are asked to treat traits that we need to cultivate (anger, for example) as inherently bad; and we are asked to focus on all of us as perpetrators of harm when some of us are undergoing profound experiences of victimization; and more.
In the Feminist Teshuva Circle, we will dive into each of these areas using the Torah of texts and of our lives, moving toward a vision of teshuva that settles us more deeply within ourselves.
Each week of Elul (starting August 18th, on Rosh Chodesh), participants will have access to:
Daily prompts for writing/thinking based on the week’s theme
A Substack comment thread to discuss the prompts — and anything else on your mind — with the community
Readings on the theme
A processing hour on Zoom — optional from week to week
A weekly wrap-up essay
If there is interest, a feminist teshuva circle chavruta pairing, with optional prompts
Themes:
Week 1: Cheshbon
How can we relate to a season of self-examination when our world encourages so many of us to be harshly self-critical all year long?
Week 2: Chatati?
What traits have and experiences we pushed away that we actually want to embrace?
Week 3: Kapparah
How have we experienced others’ harm to us, and how can we process this harm in a season that often invites us to see ourselves as perpetrators and not victims?
Week 4: Integration
Practical strategies for making the Yamim Noraim nourishing.
Registration:
Participation in the circle is $54 for the month, and includes all the juicy offerings listed above! We’ll primarily communicate through Substack, so all you need is an email account. To register, you should subscribe to the feminist teshuva circle substack at the yearly rate of $54 (nothing will happen if you click the monthly rate except that you will get charged $5, I’m sorry, I am trying to figure out how to make that option go away but have not been able to yet).
If cost is a barrier or you’d like to sponsor someone else’s participation, email me at avigayil.halpern@gmail.com — TORAH IS FOR EVERYONE.
This information is also all available at my website!