Hollander Social Justice Fellow 2021: Introducing Erica Riddick!
Erica Riddick– Bilha & Zilpah: Silent Voices of Sister Wives & Concubine Matriarchs
Erica Riddick spent coronavirus living in Jerusalem and studying at Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies, was a 2018 JewV’Nation Fellow, and founded Jews of Color Sanctuary, which creates infrastructure for Jews of Color in Cincinnati and the Midwest. Erica has been a Jewish educator at Mercaz Conservative High School in Cincinnati OH and recently co-led a Safety conversation for 5th & 6th grade students at Temple Israel in Boston MA. A storyteller at heart, Erica enjoys live action role playing gaming, improv and ballroom dancing, and strives for embodied learning/teaching that is also fun. Erica is currently developing a Torah exploration curriculum based on improv principles and is curating writings on her time in Jerusalem she imagines calling My Coronavirus Year Abroad: A Black Jewish Torahnical Memoire of Israel.
Erica will be teaching three workshops throughout the two weeks:
Workshop 1- Bilha & Zilpah: Silenced Voices of Sister Wives & Concubine Matriarchs (1 hour)
A text exploration of contested status and the power of naming. Source sheets contain Hebrew with English translation; open to all levels of text study & Hebrew levels. Age 16+
Workshop 2- Shema Yisrael: Hearing Bilha & Zilpah Voices Through Creative Midrash (1 hour)
An opportunity to give voice to un-named Matriarchs through Creative Midrash prompts. No previous Midrash or writing background required. Age 16+
Workshop 3- The Canaanite Within Our Midst: A Reparations Text Study (2 hours)
An immersive interactive time travelling Torah study chavruta event exploring tribe and land, and their relationship to each other, and ourselves. Source sheets contain Hebrew with English translation; open to all levels of text study & Hebrew levels. Age 16+
Prepare a new food or drink you’d like to try; or prepare something in a new way, which we will use during the event. Feel free to choose one of the following drink recipe options (a non-alcoholic one and wine option):
- Non-alcoholic – pumpkin-juice
- Alcoholic – emerald-potion-of-despair
Erica will be teaching:
Monday, July 26 @ 2:30 pm
Thursday, July 29 @ 2:30 pm
Sunday, August 1 @ 1:00 pm
Capacity: 14 (for all)