6. Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Enzi and Graie wrap up a busy Black History Month (or Black Futures, depending on how you look at things), including a historic Super Bowl, and Viola Davis gaining EGOT status. Plus they take that joy and bring us into Adar, the Jewish month of Joy.

As host Enzi Tanner turns 39, he and returning guest Graie Hagens talk about outliving expectations as black men in America, poignant poetry that discusses the black experience, and the joy of looking to the future -- not just the past.

Who are you? Who do you want to be? And can you get to that place in an authentic way? In the first episode of 2023, Enzi encourages us to begin to think about living our lives authentically. And really being willing to challenge the status quo, not just externally but also internally.

On the final episode of 2022, Enzi looks back at what has been a year of big changes for him and looks ahead to what he hopes can be in 2023. What are you hoping to see next year?

As it's getting dark earlier and the nights last longer, it's the perfect time to sleep more to recharge. But it's also the month of Kislev -- the month of dreaming. Enzi talks sleep, dreams, and the power of renewal with Reuven McCullough, a sleep technician and rabbinical student at ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal.Text study https://assets.nationbuilder.com/jewishaction/pages/16462/attachments/original/1670619738/Bend_the_Arc_Hanukkah_Text_Study.pdf?1670619738Terms discussed: Kislev - a Jewish month at the edge of fall and winter. It is the month of Hanukkah.Samekh - The 15th letter in the Jewish alphabet. The word samekh means "support" in HebrewKeshet - the word means "bow" like the rainbow or bow of 'bow and arrow.' It is also the Hebrew word for the constellation Sagittarius.Kivah - An internal organ, some think the milk stomach of a ruminant.Marah - the gall bladder

Graie Hagens is back this week to talk with Enzi about the shooting at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs on Nov. 19, and the fear that comes from being black, trans and Jewish in public.

Enzi talks with Graie Hagens, one of the founding members of the Black Jewish Liberation Collective, about anti-Black racism and antisemitism, while addressing the social and political impact of the recent antisemitic remarks by Ye and Kyrie Irving. Note: this episode was recorded before the elections so some of the predictions didn't age too well!https://www.blackjewishliberation.org/

Election Day is next week, and campaigns are always looking for volunteers to text, call or doorknock. How can you help do this vital work for your candidates of choice if you are neurodivergent? Enzi, who has talked about his fairly recent autism diagnosis, talks about he manages this stressful time of year.

We're back! After a hiatus getting used to life at a new job, Enzi talks with producer Lonny Goldsmith about his new job with Bend The Arc, and what topics he's planning to tackle on the new season!

Laura Monn Ginsburg, a board member of National Council of Jewish Women, talks with Enzi this week to discuss the recent leak of the Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade, and the upcoming Jewish Rally For Abortion Justice. If you’re unable to join be in Washington, D.C., tune in at 9 a.m. EDT for the livestream at jewishrally.org. Check @NCJW on social for more details.