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The UPLift with Tzedek: Real Talk for Real Change
Welcome to The UPlift - Real Talk for Real Change! We're here to build authentic community relationships and help fuel social transformation in Asheville, NC, believing collective liberation is not only possible but probable as we share, listen, and learn together.
The Tzedek Social Justice Fund is a social justice philanthropy fund that redistributes money, resources, and power to support systems change and community healing in Asheville, North Carolina. Through adaptive, trust-based philanthropy, we resist oppressive systems and work to transform our collective home into a place where everyone flourishes. We fund mission-aligned work centering LGBTQ Justice, Racial Justice, and/or Dismantling Antisemitism; this means we give money to organizations and individuals invested in creating a more fair, equitable, and flourishing society.
We dream of a thriving Asheville where everyone's needs are abundantly met - where everyone is safe, respected, and celebrated. We believe that a community rooted in joy and love is possible - that is, if we can connect and build our shared vision on the value that liberation is for all.
Sound good to you? We hope so!
Let's be real. Let's go deep. Let's get liberated.
The UPLift with Tzedek: Real Talk for Real Change
Tikkun Down South: Sweet Tea & Sacred Resistance
As antisemitism rises in our streets, schools, and politics, how do we build solidarity that protects both Jewish communities and democracy itself?
In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, we're lifting up the layered, powerful stories of what it means to be Jewish in the US South today. From sacred rituals to real-talk resistance, this episode explores identity, resilience, and chutzpah in pursuing the moral imperative to fight for a better world.
This month's guests—Abby Levine, Lisa Forehand, Ashley Lasher, and Stephanie—bring wisdom, warmth, and bold honesty to a conversation about collective repair and radical joy, grounded in tradition and justice.
About Abby: Executive Director of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, Abby has helped grow a national network of Jewish organizations working at the intersection of identity and justice. A seasoned organizer and Senior Schusterman Fellow, her leadership spans progressive campaigns, racial equity initiatives, and movement-building across faith communities.
About Ashley: An Asheville native and lifelong part of the Jewish Community Center, Ashley leads the Asheville JCC with a focus on joy, inclusion, and ritual. With deep experience in nonprofit development, she works to build spaces that uplift Jewish life and push back against antisemitism through community connection.
About Lisa: Lisa is a culturally Jewish interfaith minister, statewide organizer, and seasoned nonprofit leader, currently serving on the Carolina Jews for Justice leadership team. With a background in intercultural training, philanthropy, and spiritual care, her work bridges traditions and communities to cultivate justice, healing, and sustainable change.
Jewish history teaches us that when one group is targeted, all of democracy is at risk. And in the US South, where sweet tea meets sacred resistance, the fight for justice carries its own flavors of courage.
🎙️ Don't wait! Pull up a chair, pour yourself something sweet, and hit play.
We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.
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