RENCONTRE

Sarit Cantor

Sarit (they/them) is a queer textile artist, ritual leader and community organizer who really loves the Talmud. They graduated from York University (in Toronto) with a Masters in Environmental Studies, where they researched Jewish ancestral healing practices and the ways these practices can resource our movements for justice. They are also a recent graduate from SVARA’s teaching Kollel, where they deepened their understanding of Jewish text study as an abolitionist practice in which ancestors, divinity, justice and relationship are woven beautifully and intricately throughout Jewish tradition.

Sarit has led several SVARA-style betai-midrash, including, Study As Care: A Weekly Talmud Workshop for femmes, which centres the voices, wisdom and experience of femmes looking to study Jewish texts. They also lead ongoing Talmud classes in collaboration with SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) for white anti-racist organizers looking to unbraid themselves from white supremacy.

They believe that Jewish study is a practice of reaching towards connection, which can often be accompanied by grief, frustration, and a holy grappling - all of which are powerful access points to the sacred, towards better understanding ourselves, and connecting with what it is that we yearn for.

When Sarit is not teaching or studying Talmud, they can be found dyeing fabric with plants, quilting, woodworking, finding ways to laugh, and praying by the water.