Penny’s workshops and talks explore:
• anti-Semitism and its relationship to white supremacy and white nationalism
• internalized anti-Semitism and internalized oppression
• uprooting misogyny
Using information sharing, experiential work, alliance-building ideas and next steps for social justice, Penny’s talks and workshops can be for groups who have read the book and for those who haven’t. Half-day, full-day, or in-between—can be tailored to your group. Honorarium requested.
Talks
New! As of summer 2022, Penny is now offering a series of 3 interactive classes:
Antisemitism
White Supremacy / White Nationalism
How We’re Affected by All This: Internalized Anti-Semitism, White Supremacy — and Healing
“Do you ever have an experience and find yourself sighing and smiling because you get to KNOW that you were meant to be exactly where you are? That’s how I felt during your classes… Thank you for your guidance and wisdom on such pertinent, big yet deeply personal matters. You created an environment where I felt able to think critically and engage all different parts of my identity, some old and others very new and fragile. Thank you for holding space for me to grow.”
Interactive Presentation of Hope into Practice
Penny’s interactive book talks are based in Jewish ethical tradition and community-building, linking personal healing with activism for a more just and generous world. Using stories from a diverse plethora of Jewish and gender-queer women, and weaving humor throughout, she touches on various themes from her book – including anti-Semitism, racial justice and white privilege, healing from ancestral Jewish trauma, human rights in Israel-Palestine, Jewish multiculturalism, recovering from internalized victimization, historical Jewish resistance to persecution, various healing modalities, and stories of activism and alliance-building. It’s about human liberation, after all!
1-1/2 to 2 hours, including Q & A, always interactive!
Anti-Semitism, past & present: what to know, how to respond, towards our collective liberation
Penny offers a perspective on what anti-Semitism is and what it isn’t, key ways that anti-Semitism has functioned, how it’s showing up on the Right (dangerous), also on the Left – and focusing on its connection to white nationalism, racism and Islamophobia. The antidote? Building solidarity and safety for all.“You spoke so brilliantly and really met the whole conference where they were – enabling people to really understand anti-Semitism for what it is.”
Jewish Resistance, and Non-Jewish Allies, during the Nazi Holocaust –and Resisting Together, Today!
Do you know about 19-year-old Rosa Robota, who smuggled dynamite in her fingernails to blow up an Auschwitz crematorium? Or Mexican diplomat Gilberto Salvidar who helped 40,000 Jews escape from France to Africa? Hear these stories and more, and learn “How can we apply lessons-learned to our actions of resistance and solidarity today?”
Feminist Intersectional Activism in a Dangerous Time
Penny shares activist adventures, inspiration, and complexities – spanning racial justice, standing up to anti-Semitism & white nationalism, supporting refugees, the Women’s March, Palestinian rights – as well as readings from “Hope into Practice”! Penny focuses on Aurora Levins Morales’ question: “What actions can we take to increase our solidarity with each other?”Is Opposing Israel’s Policies Anti-Semitic?
Penny gave this talk on March 2, 2015 in Boulder, CO at the Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center event. You can watch it in the video below.
Workshops
Penny’s workshops explore internalized anti-Semitism and internalized oppression through sharing stories and ideas, reflection, experiential work, healing/restorative strategies, and next steps for social justice. They can be for groups who have read the book and for those who haven’t — half-day, full-day, or in-between, can be tailored to your group. Honorarium requested.
When I DARE to be POWERFUL
In these perilous times of threats to our democracy, climate crisis and rising antisemitism / racism / homophobia / transphobia, misogyny / Islamophobia, more — Penny’s work is an activist’s call for resistance, and for healing the world. The When I Dare to be Powerful workshop focuses on empowering our leadership by examining what gets in the way. Sometimes we internalize messages from society that can hold us back from having the biggest lives we can have and being the boldest leaders we can be. These internalized messages might come from our intersecting identities and how we experience things like sexism, gender oppression, adultism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, racism, classism, and ableism. Join us to share stories, examine victimizing mindsets, envision, forge connection, and celebrate victories. Intertwining self-love with social justice, we’ll bolster our capacity together to create a more just and generous world. (Title taken from a quote by Audre Lorde.)
The When I Dare to be Powerful workshop can range from 3 – 8 hours and can be tailored to your group. It is primarily geared to cis-women and to trans and gender-queer folks who were socialized as women / who are treated by society as women. Travel and honorarium requested (or workshop fee paid by participants).
“Recently my organization brought Penny to do a workshop for women in their 20s and 30s on the topic of working through internalized sexism and antisemitism. We could not have been more pleased with the outcome. The workshop itself was magical: Penny’s unique facilitation style allowed time for participants to process what they learned, and the outcome was a group of highly inspired, empowered and better connected women. I definitely recommend bringing Penny in as a speaker or trainer!”
“You had your finger on the pulse. You led us through the experience of being heartbroken, but also feeling hopeful and connected. It was just what we needed, in terms of our leadership, and we didn’t even know we needed it.”
“The digging we did in the workshop was fantastic, and I liked the bonding that came as a result. I learned things! Self-reflective things, and things about framing hurt and pain into more constructive energy. This learning is awesome.”
“Penny has taken the findings from both her research and decades of feminist activism to create a truly extraordinary experience. Combining feminist insights with thought-provoking exercises, Penny guides participants in reflection that draws on both the heart and the mind. She leads with enormous compassion, guiding participants to reflect, reassess, reconsider and re-dedicate ourselves to working for honest, meaningful change in ourselves and our communities.”
“Penny’s workshop was a powerful orientation to fundamental systems of oppression–and the tools to shake free from them. Over the course of the day, the participants became visibly more bonded, both sobered and hopeful in the face of the task. As a rabbi, I am thrilled by the groundwork laid by Penny’s workshop, and look forward to building on this foundation with the folks who participated. Thank you Penny!”
“Our workshop was just what I have been seeking. The experience of uncovering my internalized anti-Semitism is painful, intense and challenging. And it’s exactly what I know I need to do to claim my “Jewish voice” in the activism I do. In this visceral workshop I let the feelings swell beyond my throat and into tears and movement and the sweetest hugs and understanding eyes from the others in the room. So good.”
“At Penny’s When I Dare to be Powerful retreat in Boulder, I personally came away with a realization that many of my patterns in groups and within myself are not just about the family I grew up in, but are connected to a lineage of Judaism and the trauma that my people have experienced. I came away with a wake up call: to stand more fully in my power, speak up for myself more, and be bold about my choices.
Penny effortlessly brought our group together to form a safe, dynamic space; the exercises we engaged in were both personally and politically transformative. She wasn’t afraid to ask us hard questions, to invite us to step into our discomfort, face cultural traumas, and move into action. Penny’s work on dismantling racism shows in her facilitation style and ability to show up as an ally. I particularly appreciated that anyone she was quoting from was acknowledged well, and she gave credit and gratitude to those who have come before on the path of justice work.
Penny weaves dyads, small group work, embodied exercises, academic presentation and ritual together to create a hands-on, experiential workshop. She is a phenomenal group facilitator who can broach the most controversial or delicate of subjects with grace, accessibility, depth of knowledge, and heartfelt connection.”
Four-Session Dare to be Powerful Workshop Series
“The workshop was incredibly meaningful to me. I loved going deep, loved the singing. I loved exploring internalized anti-Semitism; it’s something I have been struggling to understand in conversations with my mom and I really feel equipped to hear her with more compassion. You made us all feel held, supported, and heard. The energy of that space was always warm and comforting and you did a great job bringing in ALL voices, thank you!”
“This class helped me start on the journey of looking more deeply at my Jewish ancestry – of where and who I came from and how that impacts who I am today. I am more aware of signs of internalized anti-Semitism and misogyny in myself and in those around me.”
“I have come away from this class feeling a deeper connection to my Jewishness, a feeling of community, a deeper understanding of myself… The sweetness, vulnerability, wisdom, respect, humor and intelligence shown by everyone in the group was so special, and I thank you for helping to bring out the best in all of us.”
“Love this class. I am coming away with so many questions and with a team of strong Jewish women and genderqueer friends, and that means the world to me. Thank you!”
No Shame, No Blame: Shifting Structural Male Power & Privilege. Supporting Women’s/GenderQueer Leadership, Visibility, & Structural Inclusion
In this workshop, with curiosity, insight, and compassion, together we examine a framework of structural oppression — and how this relates to your organization, focusing on issues of sexism. Using experiential tools, we look at how male privilege plays out in our work together — and how oppression hurts us all. Through personal sharing and community-building, we forge closer bonds towards our mutual liberation. “The antidote to structural oppression is structural inclusion.” (John Powell, The Haas Institute/UC Berkeley)
“The culture of our organization is forever changed, and the unity and health of our staff culture has never been so upright, as a result of Penny’s compassionate and clear facilitation. I am blown away by her brilliance and left speechless by the amount of work, care, heart and soul she poured into creating this experience.
Penny’s dedication to this work is outstanding, and her skill as a facilitator of challenging conversations is awe-inspiring. She is a role model for us all, and a trail-blazer when it comes to creating opportunities for individuals and groups to do the inner-work necessary to effect true systematic and structural change.”