Join us for a collaborative, community-rooted exploration of the Book of Joshua through a decolonizing, gender-aware, and non-conquering lens. This interfaith reading group critically examines how conquest narratives have been used to justify violence and colonialism, while opening space for liberatory interpretations of sacred text.
Fall Intensive Series
September 7, Oct 5, Nov2
Our foundational three-month journey meets on first Sundays from 1:00-3:00 PM, building momentum through consistent monthly gatherings. Each session deepens our engagement with the PARDES+ framework while rotating through different cultural and theological perspectives. Read more about 2026 schedule in the COMMUNITY INFORMATION below.
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WHO IS THIS FOR
Everyone is welcome! This group is designed for:
People from Jewish and Christian backgrounds seeking critical engagement with scripture
Those interested in interfaith, multicultural perspectives
Anyone wrestling with violent texts and their contemporary implications
Community members committed to anti-colonial solidarity
Individuals seeking redemptive approaches to sacred literature
No prior biblical knowledge required - bring your questions and curiosity
OUR GOALS
Address how conquest narratives have been used and abused across faiths and ideologies
Bring the wrestling and the ongoing questions as our pedagogy
Challenge the isolation that comes from questioning sacred violence
Synthesize reflection into action for liberation
Build apartheid-free, interfaith community models
QUESTIONS WE CARRY
What does it mean to be a member of a faith community which perpetuates violences rooted in these types of texts?
How do we wrestle with violent texts without minimizing the violence?
Can we invite people to share their stories and starting points?
How do we assume folx like us were there - witnessing, carrying, grieving?
How do we make sense of this in the context of Sacred Scripture?
How do we acknowledge the evangelical/observant trauma in our spiritual journeys?
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Click on + to expand the text.
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We employ the PARDES+ framework - an expansion of traditional Jewish hermeneutics that centers justice:
P'shat (Simple/Literal): Unpacking personal experience with the text
Remez (Allegory): Creative and symbolic interpretations
D'rash (Analysis): Critical examination through decolonial and liberatory lenses
Sod (Secret/Mystical): Wrestling with redemptive possibilities and spiritual insights
+ Justice: Centering how conquest narratives connect to contemporary liberation struggles
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We acknowledge the tensions within interfaith dialogue that can inadvertently create victim/perpetrator binaries. Our approach seeks to hold multiple truths: the reality of contemporary violence justified through these texts, the rich traditions of resistance within each faith community, and the archaeological realities that challenge mainstream biblical narratives. We resist the temptation to flatten complex histories while maintaining our commitment to justice and liberation.
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Winter Reflection & Celebration (December 2025) December 7th offers a more casual gathering - part Chanukah/Christmas celebration, part reflection on our journey together. This session creates space to discern whether and how the community wants to continue.
Winter Expansion Series (February - April 2026) Welcoming new participants, we resume with three sessions designed to integrate fresh voices while building on the foundation established in fall. The April 5th gathering coincides with Easter/Passover/Palestinian Child Day, honoring the convergence of holy seasons with justice work.
Event Breakdown
1:00 Arrival and Food
1:30 Introductions and recap
2:00 Highlight one Voice
2:20 Group Discussion
2:50 Embodied Closing
Our Visual Explained
Who are the organizers
Like Banksy's dove wearing a bulletproof vest, we are faith leaders from three apartheid-free communities who carry both the symbols of peace and the protective commitment necessary to challenge how our sacred texts have been weaponized for violence. Some of us identify as anti-Zionist Jews and Christians, working within our traditions to reclaim liberatory interpretations.
We are affirming and reconciling communities of faith, recognizing that our work for Palestinian liberation exists within a web of interconnected justice concerns. Our commitment to being apartheid-free is aspirational—a pledge to continual growth and action rather than a finished achievement.
Our Apartheid-Free pledge acknowledges that Palestinian liberation is intrinsically linked to Indigenous sovereignty, inclusive community for all marginalized groups, climate justice, and economic equity. As we stand against Israeli apartheid, we humbly recognize our own complicity in systems that have harmed Indigenous peoples in Canada and excluded many others based on their identities.
We see profound connections between Palestinian struggles and the experiences of Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized people, and those facing economic injustice. The systems that oppress Palestinians share roots with those that discriminate against marginalized communities everywhere. Our prophetic witness against one system of injustice strengthens our ability to recognize and resist others.
We move forward with both humility and determination, knowing that freedom and justice for all peoples are inseparable. Like that armored dove, we embody the commitment to work for peace while acknowledging the protection required to do this sacred work of liberation.
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