Hearing the Impact: A Rekindle Fellow Reflects
“October 7 changed a lot of things for me. For one, it made clear how pervasive antisemitism really is—and brought to the fore how my ancestors must have felt experiencing pogroms, uprisings against Jews, and the Holocaust. There’s a reason they sought a better future for their children.
But it also showed me how allyship is fragile. That some people are unable to hold two things as truth simultaneously. And without cultivation, without walking in one another’s shoes or listening to one another’s experiences, we aren’t doing each other any good.
Add in some political WTFery and that’s when things really started spinning. So when I saw a flyer shared by my friend, Erica L. Reaves —and then promoted by Dr. Chrissy M. Thornton, it was like oh yes. This is what I’ve been looking for.
That thing was Rekindle. Rekindle aims to reignite the Black and Jewish alliances evidenced in the Civil Rights era but in a new context—one that addresses today’s challenges on top of the structural racism and white supremacy that continues to permeate American culture.
My Rekindle experience brought together academic texts, historical context, musings on race, religion, culture, and so much more. It brought together a cohort of peers who were genuinely interested in building bridges and learning about one another so we can uplift each other and our respective communities. And it was facilitated by two gems of humans who knew when to pause the conversation and when to let it go—Kathleen St.Villier Hill and Susanna Garfein.
Every single person was generous with their spirit and their time. For each connection I made, I learned more about a different existence, a different challenge, a different accomplishment. And I’m still learning!
Because though the ten-week cohort may have ended, the intent of the program has not. We have plans to connect for the “Black & Jewish America: an Interwoven History” docuseries. More intercultural exchanges and coffee dates are on the horizon. And I fully anticipate taking advantage of several babysitting offers.
I have a notebook full of potent comments and a workbook full of critical readings with neon yellow highlights. One of them was from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” which references moving with a sense of cosmic energy.
Signing up to do Rekindle in the busiest season of work, with a husband often traveling for work and an all-hands-on-deck toddler may not have been the best timing. But I have to think there was some kind of cosmic energy at play, bringing us all together.
Together, we can lean into what allyship means—friendship, respect, difficult conversations, accountability, and meaningful change. Together, we can cultivate the relationships sparked by Rekindle. Together, we can do more than we can alone.
And that’s the spirit I’m entering 2026 with.”
