song is the work of cultural insurrection.
it brings us into the present moment, beyond our trauma responses and into a collective vulnerability. song is magic and medicine. it fuels us to resist forces of occupation and separation, weaving ancestral memory into the present moment. song is how we keep our imaginations wide and our hearts tender, crossing borders while forging alternative futures. through song, we access our embodied knowing that things can be otherwise, even in the face of relentless racial capitalism.
the work of song is also the work of building a collective heart. capitalism and colonialism have taught us to privatize the heart— that the heart is individual, not communal. but singing gives us an experience of public intimacy, and of public, collective power.
when we sing together, our heartbeats syncopate– we tune into the rhythm and sound being produced collectively. to access the medicine of song, we must give it away. again and again and again.
devoted to this sacred work, i have spent the past few years widening my song-leader toolkit. i facilitate intimate song circles, train activist youth leaders, and hold workshops for bringing song into the streets.
“emet led a series of song workshops for our local activist collective. They are an incredible teacher. They structured the workshops in a way that both taught us specific songs and gave us the skills to carry them into our protests and into our Movement. Singing together in a group, and as a community, is truly a freeing experience. emet held the space for us to grow in song together. It was really beautiful, I highly recommend!”
Tamar Schneck, All That’s Left, Jerusalem
“I always looked forward to Shabbat dinner at emet’s house. I knew that after each dinner, we would pile into the living room and sing into the early morning. emet has a rare capacity to facilitate meaningful experiences. they can read a room and respond with feeling. they are a teacher, a poet, and a healer of the heart.”
Carly Margolis, Boston, MA
“There is power and invitation in emet’s song leading – each note is a gift. I have watched them weave a tapestry of trust that breaks down borders and opens new possibilities.”
G Lindberg, Hazon: Jewish Lab for Sustainability
Song leading with Never Again Action, at a protest in 2019
As part of High Holy Days programming at Beth Tzedec Synagogue in Toronto, Emet led a workshop on Song and Activism with Rabbi Rachel Rosenbluth.
emet ezell 