Emily is a self-described “NavaJew” who was raised on the Navajo reservation for the first 18 years of her life. At age 21, she converted to Judaism. In the podcast, Emily discusses wisdom she received growing up in Navajo Nation, as well as the influence of her current spiritual mentors from the Jewish community.
Emily McDonnell recently graduated Arizona State University with a master's degree in public administration. Emily actively pursues opportunities to merge her Navajo and Jewish identities and enjoys facilitating and participating in discussions related to Judaism and race. She is a 2017 Humanity in Action fellow and co-facilitated an intercultural dialogue between Jews and Native Americans on the topics of historical trauma and collective resistance for her action project. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, Emily was an intern at the Heard Museum.
Emily's April 2020 essay “My Community’s Uphill Battle Against COVID-19” was published by Humanity in Action.
In the podcast, Emily discusses wisdom she received growing up in Navajo Nation, as well as the influence of her current spiritual mentors Rabbi Yonatan Halevy and Sarah Elisheva (pseudonym). To respect the privacy of her community, Emily chose to not publicly name anyone on the reservation.
For questions and comments, email Rabbi Ed Bernstein at myteacherpodcast@gmail.com.
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