Constructing Identity with Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann

“There’s an instinct right now on planet Earth for identity groups to be turning inwards, as if that inward turn will protect us from oppression. And that’s the move that we as Jewish people, but also all groups as human people on this planet, need to be turning towards each other.” - Rabbi Lizzi

When Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann was growing up, she identified her family as German and Polish, since her grandparents had immigrated from those areas of Europe. However, when she visited Germany, she saw the contrast between a German identity and a Jewish identity. Between those early visits and her role now as a Jewish leader she went on a journey of discovering culture, privilege, oppression, and all of the ways those intersect in her life. That journey, and the others like it that she guides her community members through, continues to this day.

Listen in to this week’s Find Your Fierce & Loving to hear about how identities can be both empowering and limiting. Human beings have infinite potential for collaboration and discoveries—if they properly invest in themselves and others.

• (03:41) - Race and identity
• (23:10) - Relationships
• (29:26) - Love

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann is the founding rabbi of Mishkan Chicago, an independent, post-denominational Jewish spiritual community in the city of Chicago. She grew up on the South Side of the city and graduated with Honors in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Stanford University, and was ordained by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. Rabbi Lizzi currently serves as the senior Rabbi and Founder of Mishkan Chicago, where she leads services, guides the organization's vision, and hosts the podcast Contact Chai, a podcast that features weekly sermons and inspired, down-to-earth Judaism in conversation. Outside of Mishkan, she currently sits on the board of T'ruah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and the first rabbi to be a part of the Chicago Commons Project, a program run by the University of Chicago School of Divinity that cultivates a cohort of the city's faith leaders. She was named one of Jewish Women International's Women to Watch in 2018 and is a frequent presenter at conferences nationally on prayer leadership and revitalizing Jewish communities. She is married to Henry Bernstein, and is the mother of two children under 4, Judah Lev and Adira Hannah.

Do you want to unleash your inherent love and goodness, liberate yourself, and free humanity from the oppressive systems and structures we have created? We are here to support you in finding your fierce and loving life. Join us in Our Circle, a vibrant membership community rich in opportunities for engagement and transformation. Find out more at lolawright.com/our-circle.

You can follow Lola Wright, on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and learn more about my work at lolawright.com.

Chicago born and built, Lola grew up in wealth and privilege, yet always sensed something was missing. She sought out aliveness and freedom in music, immersing herself in the hip hop and house music scenes of 90s Chicago. After finding herself on her own at 23, as the mother of two young children, she became determined to create a new experience.

Lola is an ordained minister with a gift for weavin