Shelter For The Spirit

https://rivkagevurtz.substack.com/p/absurdities

https://rivkagevurtz.substack.com/p/fasting-from-hate?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1683408&post_id=188563426&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=kdjq0&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

https://rivkagevurtz.substack.com/publish/post/186589337

Friends, these first two weeks of the crowdfunding campaign have been quite the whirlwind.  It has been a source of joy, in these otherwise trying times for us all.

Contrary to what we are seeing from the federal government, I continue to hold hope for our communities.  Kindness, a central theme of my book, is not without its risks, as we saw with the murder of Alex Pretti as he tried to protect a woman who had been shoved by ICE.  And yet, clergy and private citizens alike, have stood up together to say No to fascism.  Californians were able to get the DOJ to back down from trying to obtain medical records on trans youth.  In spite of fear, people are remembering that hope and resilience are held in community.

At our month Friday Night Shabbat Supper, those gathered around the table considered the relevance of Saturday’s Torah portion, Bo. That segment of the Torah focuses on the last three (of the 10) plagues that Gd sent to Egypt. But it then goes on to give us the first commandment – to create our own calendar and to set the new moon as its beginning. The intention I asked folks to consider was this: When (then as now) the constrained place (Egypt or US) is in darkness and the future is unknown, how do we envision a new way forward?

It is hard to find hope when mothers are murdered after dropping their children off at school; dedicated nurses are murdered being kind neighbor; children are used as bait to entrap their families. As the wife and mother of two trans people, I have to admit that I worry for my family. And yet, what we and our guests talked about on Friday night is the power of community. Just as I talk about in my book, our family has been supported many times and have been blessed to watch family and friends grow in their understanding and welcome.

That same kindness is what this moment is calling us all to. The only way through this collective nightmare is to connect with your family, friends, congregations and communities. Share a meal, call and check in, be vulnerable with one another about how you are (and are not) able to reconcile your sense of safety in this moment. Our spiritual communities have long been the place where our families turned in times of trouble. If your spirit is not met in an organized religious institution, maybe your spirit will be fed taking a walk in nature with a friend. It is important in this moment to hold each other up and remember that hope and resilience are held in community.

As another source of hope and resilience, please do consider getting my book, and sharing the link with your circles!  Thank you for your support!

Friends, thank you to those who have been among the first to pre-order my new book.  I’m excited to share that we already have one publisher interested. 

For those unfamiliar with Publishizer, they are a matchmaker between authors and publishers, but they are also a crowdfunding platform.  What I’ve learned is that the more pre-sales that we can get in the first 30 days amplifies the interest generated to publishers.

Tom and I read today that a current survey suggests that 50% of queer folk have gone back into the closet in the current environment.  So why am I doing just the opposite and sharing our love story?  Because it is not just about our love, but the love shown to us by our family and communities.  That love is desperately needed to bring hope and resilience, now more than ever.

Please consider sharing the link to my book launch with your dear ones! https://publishizer.com/love-by-any-name/

Thanks!

Rivka

https://open.substack.com/pub/rivkagevurtz/p/turn-return-and-remember?r=kdjq0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

https://rivkagevurtz.substack.com/p/of-fathers-kings-and-the-divine-feminine

https://rivkagevurtz.substack.com/p/womb-love

I’ve begun writing my blog on Substack. Follow this link:

https://rivkagevurtz.substack.com/p/focusing-on-community