The Shamati Sessions

On October 7, 2023, Israeli Jews experienced atrocities that have left Jews worldwide reeling with pain, anguish, grief, solidarity, confusion, anger, fear, and deeply personal fractures. Many of us feel overwhelmed and perhaps alone in these emotions and responses. Jews comprise 0.2% of the world’s population, roughly half in Israel and half in the diaspora.

I learned the Hebrew word “Shamati” after the Tree of Life shooting in Squirrel Hill almost exactly five years ago. In a blog post about that incident of terror, I wrote:

I took a nap. I drifted in a state of half-sleep, thinking: They want us to be scared. They want us to hide who we are. They want us to feel unsafe in our bodies, in our communities, in prayer and in protest, in our comings and goings.

{read the whole piece}

“Shamati” means “I have heard.”

After the shooting, our rabbi held space in our synagogue for anyone who wanted to simply be together, and to have a place to speak. He offered very clear guidelines for our time together: Anyone who wanted to speak could speak. After each speaker, the rest of us would offer, “Shamati.”

There was no cross-talk, discussion, debate, or analysis. Instead, we listened. We heard. We witnessed each other.

These sessions are an opportunity to gather, write, and hear each other.

WHAT IT IS

  • Space to be together: To see each other’s faces and hear each other’s voices, to remember we are not alone in this.
  • Space that acknowledges there are many ways to grieve, and they are all valid.
  • Time to write: Each session will open with a short poem or reading, followed by a period of timed freewriting and (optional) sharing. Each reader will be met with a chorus of “Shamati” from their fellow participants. We will recite Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer, along with a prayer for healing, at the end of each session. No formal knowledge of any of the above is needed.

WHAT IT IS NOT

  • A political forum.
  • A discussion group.
  • A place for debate, analysis, or judgment.

WHO IT IS FOR

  • Anyone who identifies in any way as Jewish – there is no external or objective definition here. No one is more or less Jewish than anyone else, and no one’s way of being Jewish is the “right” way.
  • Folks who wish to be in a space of solidarity with the Jewish community. NOTE: “solidarity” does not require being “on the same page” politically, ideologically, Jewishly, or emotionally.
  • It does, however, require a fundamental respect for coming together without needing to explain or defend ourselves, to be safe in sharing whatever we are grappling with, as Jews.
  • Non-Jews are also welcome, i.e. those who value writing in community as a form of creating connection and healing.

DATES & TIMES

The Shamati Sessions will take place on Zoom on Mondays, 6:00-7:00pm-ish* EST.

You can attend some or all of the sessions.. Drop-ins are welcome but registration is required.

February 5
February 12
February 19
February 26

* Each session’s length may vary slightly depending on number of participants

COST

By donation.

REGISTER HERE


18% of all donations will be donated to the World Union for Progressive Judaism Emergency Appeal to Help Israeli Victims of Terror and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.


QUESTIONS?

Email Jena Schwartz at jenarschwartz (at) gmail (dot) com.