Block by Block, Heart by Heart: Dr. Lyla June, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg & Rae Abileah

Recorded from a live SAND Gathering (February 2026). From Los Angeles to Minneapolis, communities are turning toward one another in a time of uncertainty, remembering that care begins close to home. Beyond public action, quieter networks of support are taking root: block-by-block relationships grounded in land, lineage, and love. This gathering explores how spiritual practice, trauma-aware care, and neighborhood organizing are being woven together as living traditions. We ask what it looks like to shift our energy from reactive mobilization toward steady, proactive organizing that can sustain us for the long haul. Drawing from Indigenous memory, Black freedom traditions, diasporic Jewish practices of care, and contemporary grassroots work, we reflect on how mutual care—feeding one another, tending grief, protecting children, honoring the dead—can be reclaimed as daily sacred practice. This is a conversation about blending spiritual practice and movement practice; about thinking smaller, closer, and more relational; and about learning from quiet, resilient forms of organizing that move people from isolation into coordinated courage. This conversation invites attunement: How do we stay grounded in grief without collapsing? How do we strengthen relationships across differences? How do small, steady acts of care help communities move from fear toward shared courage? This is an invitation to listen to the wisdom already alive in our histories, our bodies, and our neighborhoods. Topics 00:00 Welcome and Context 02:33 Grounding Breath Practice 03:22 Why We Gather Now 05:19 Meet the Speakers 07:36 Lyila June on Collapse 09:12 Chaco Canyon Lesson 12:36 Kaira Jewel on Flow 16:39 Rejoicing and Ancestors 20:04 Rabbi Jessica in Minneapolis 24:54 Sacred Geography and Duty 29:59 Lyla June on Forgiveness 36:22 Liberation for Everyone 37:32 Grace and Sobriety Story 39:06 Jewish Wisdom and Mutual Care 41:27 Feasting Fuels Mutual Aid 45:53 Spirituality Is Not Neutral 49:11 Sacred Criticism and Fierce Love 53:49 Mycelium and Small Acts 59:51 Resources and Community Questions 01:03:30 Heart Practice for Overwhelm 01:06:17 Reweaving Interdependence 01:08:46 Warrior Love Closing 01:14:31 Final Announcements and Farewell Decolonial Mental Health Practice: Clinical and Ethical Insights from Palestine with Dr. Samah Jabr (March 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2026 • 9:00 – 11:00am PST online with SAND) Please consider donating to Rabbi Jessica’s GoFundMe campaign in support of students at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. The students are using creative arts to process the trauma of recent encounters involving ICE and U.S. Border Patrol. In collaboration with local artists, they are developing an art installation intended to uplift and inspire both the school community and their neighbors, while continuing to advocate for justice and safety for all. This project offers a meaningful way to strengthen community bonds and foster collective healing. Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member