Political Refugees in Exile

Aug 9

About The Series

We collaborate with refugee political and cultural leaders in Europe and other parts of the world to create a productive discourse and practice that can enact transformative change amongst exiled artists and activists. We innovate contemporary practices and understandings of Exile, unleashing the creativer and transformative potential of discourse, ritual, and art.

Selected Examples

SHIUR: Kabbalat Shabbat Nights/Lights in Exile

June 9, 2023. Berlin

Does activism debase itself into empty performatism, if there is no spiritual core?

How can we address this without subscribing to any naive dogmas or beliefs?

What is the role of discourse?

How does art function in times of revolution?

Exile’s contradictory nature allows for both a sense of yearning and absence as well as, through the very contemplation of the distant home, an intense presence and definition.

Berlin has been a home away from home for exiles both historically and in the present era.

At SHIUR Kabbalat Shabbat Nights/Lights in Exile in PSR-Heizhaus in Berlin, we explored the theme of Exile through a contemporary take on the Jewish Pre-Shabbat ritual with an evening of text based discourse led by Micki Weinberg drawing on our theme from texts related to the cultures of current exiles in Berlin combined with Kazakh vocals by Dina Nurpeisseva , traditional Arabic music by the Syrian musician Abdulkader Asli, Persian songs by Luna Cavari, and sound and light art by Doron Sadja.

This event was part of a series focusing on collaborating with refugee artists in Europe and other parts of the world–to create a productive discourse and practice that can enact transformative change.

SHIUR Yazidi Collaborations

We are proud to have collaborated with different Yazidi organizations to bring attention to the Yazidi people’s plight and to engage in productive discourse with survivors and political and intellectual leaders from the community in Iraq and Europe. Selected examples below:

SHIUR Yazidi-Jewish Discourse: In Pursuit of a Non-Victim Based Identity with Sedat Oezgen. New York. October 20, 2022

Virtual SHIUR with Yazidi activist Gian Aldonani in partnership with Hawar Hilfswerk. August 17, 2022.

Virtual SHIUR with Dr. Majid Hassan Ali (direct from Mosul) in partnership with Stelle für Jesidische Angelegenheiten e.V.