Jewish Culture, Community & Allyship - A Conversation with Heather Janules

19 Mar @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

This session will be by Zoom only at antioch.zoom.us/my/hkjanules

Heather Janules is a student at Antioch Graduate School pursuing a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In her Social and Cultural Diversity course, she is learning the practices of cultural humility. Part of the course requires the students to immerse themselves in a culture not their own with curiosity and respect, to learn how to form healthy relationships across identities.  There is also an expectation that students advocate on behalf of this community as part of the immersion process.

Heather has served as a Unitarian Universalist minister for almost twenty years, and her goal is to combine her UU ministry  with work as a mental health counselor.

“My interfaith relationships have made clear that there is affinity between Unitarian Universalism and Reform Judaism, with scholarship, inclusion and social justice strong elements in both traditions. I have cherished my interfaith partnerships in ministry and, as many UU communities include interfaith families, I have also treasured ministering to and with Jewish people. And, yet, not sharing a Jewish ethnic or religious background, I have also felt an alienating sense of “otherness” in some of these relationships, a distance that has interfered with me being the kind of Jewish ally I seek to be. Considering the war in the Middle East and our current political climate, I feel moved to work through this paralysis through fostering greater understanding and stronger relationships.”

If it is not possible to attend this session or the in-person one scheduled for March 22, Heather would welcome contact by email (hjanules@antioch.edu) relating to the following questions:

How might you describe the culture of your Congregation?

How does this resonate or differ from other Jewish communities you may have been part of?

Knowing that “Jewish culture” is not singular, what motivates you to live into your Judaism in the way you do?

What are the most meaningful and life-giving elements of Jewish culture for you?

Where are the places where you struggle?

What are your hopes for the Jewish people for the near and distant future?

What does meaningful advocacy for Jewish people look like to you, especially in our local context?