Is this for me? 

At the Intersection is a Jewish-oriented space that celebrates Jewish values, dialogue and perspectives. We recognize that being Jewish encompasses a variety of lived experiences. We respect diversity as integral to Jewish existence and tradition for centuries.  

This group welcomes Jews of all diasporic lineages (Mizrahi, Sephardic, Ashkenazi, etc.), races, and genders, with an explicit invitation to Jews existing at the margins and/or multiple intersections: LGBTQ+ Jews, Arab Jews, Jews of Color, Jews who immigrated to North America within the last one or two generations, Jews who lived in diaspora in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, or Asia, disabled/chronically ill Jews, and working class and mixed-class/class-straddling Jews. We welcome Jews from multi-ethnic, multi-racial, and multi-faith families, and Jews with any orientation to religious observance or non-observance. 

What if I don’t identify as Jewish? 

We welcome those who may not identify as Jewish and are also wrestling with questions around Israel/Palestine and/or benefitting from Western colonization/imperialism. We offer this framework not to be exclusive, but rather to set up a foundation of sufficient common ground to enable participants to share vulnerably in community during this deeply polarizing and traumatic period. 

How do I sign up?

Click on the "Register now!" button. We are offering this series using a tiered sliding scale fee structure: $18/$36/$54/$72. Your ticket includes access to all 3 sessions of the series. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds; contact us if the lowest fee tier is out of your budget. Please keep in mind that ticket purchases at higher tiers enables Aviva Arts and Somatic Support Philly to continue to provide accessible arts and wellness programming for our communities. If you have any questions about the sliding scale format, please refer to this link, or use the following guide below to identify which tier represents an equitable exchange given your resources.

What is a somatic approach?

The body has wisdom and holds the key to our liberation. The word “somatics” is derived from the Greek word “soma” which translates to “the living body in its wholeness.” Our bodies carry information about our experiences in a different way from our minds. Our bodies' nervous systems, muscles, tissues, and cells hold wisdom about how we register and move through the world around us.

We are more than our cognitive selves and somatic practices invite us to discover how life shows up within us, in our bodily responses, in a moment by moment way. Our bodies hold trustworthy information about how we interact with our environment in ways that are often out of reach to our conscious mind. 

Our bodies communicate in the language of physical sensations, movement of energy, imagery, bodily postures and gestures, and colors. With that said, any level of familiarity with somatic practice is welcome.

Why now?

Mariana and Debórah met years ago in a Jewish affinity room on zoom. After several conversations, they came together to provide this At the Intersection space for somatic healing, dialogue, and to witness each other as we navigate ongoing crisis. We are devastated and heartbroken by the death and kidnapping of civilians by Hamas on October 7, the ongoing death, wounding, and suffering of Palestinians in Gaza due to Israeli bombardment and ground invasions, and the destruction of Palestinian life and homes in both Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli military and settlers. This circle welcomes a critical analysis of the U.S., Israel, and Hamas, and other actors involved in the Middle East/SWANA region, both currently and historically. 

What are our Guiding Principles?

A part of informed consent.  This list may not resonate 100% with you. We invite you to self-assess if this container is a “good enough” fit for your participation.

• We practice the Jewish value of holding space for questions, inquiry, and discourse.  

• We welcome a diversity of perspectives, lived experiences, and ancestral histories.  

• We acknowledge the value of respectful tension and disagreement.

• We recognize the intersectionality of identifiers such as Jewish, Arab, SWANA, etc.

• We value personal nuance, multiple truths, and “both/and” viewpoints.

• We make space for grief, anger, stress, rage, pain, shame, anxiety, distress, sadness, hurt, vulnerability, tears.