I've had the opportunity to talk with some of my friends and family about what drew me to apply to the Braden program and what compelled me to move across the country when I was accepted--but I have the feeling that I've kept my thoughts about this process pretty close to the vest. So here's an excerpt from my application that might go a little farther in explaining.
I feel that a better understanding of racism and movements that currently challenge and have historically challended racism is now crucial to my Jewish anti-Zionist activism. How have white activists lived the values of solidarity and accountability to communities of color? What does it mean for IJAN's anti-Zionist work to be grounded in anti-racism and anti-imperialism? How can we better make our mostly-white Chicago IJAN chapter open and accountable to Jews of color? What is our strategic role as Jews and, for some of us, as whites? How can we build ties with other groups working on related work against police violence, for immigrant rights, indigenous rights, housing justice and queer liberation? These are all questions I hope the Braden program can help me start to answer through my work. I hope that the program would help me, too, to ask sharper questions.
I greatly admire the people I know who have done the program, and they all say that the program was crucial in developing their skills and confidence as organizers. They also told me about what they experienced as most unique and powerful about the program: the focus on building community in which people can challenge each other deeply, and the culture of loving mutual support and appreciation that organizers and participants created. They said they left the program more willing to take political risks, and to step-up more often and effectively in their organizing work.
