Rita, now in her 30s, immigrated from Ukraine With her family when she was an infant. While struggling to assimilate as a teenager living in the city of Beer Sheva, she was introduced to some different ideas about the world than the ones she was used to hearing. This led her to decide not to serve in the military even though the law requires it. At 17, without knowing anyone else who had done this at the time, she was scared but determined. We met in an activism chapter in our college, and have been good friends ever since.
Today she works with youth at risk and does her best to model for them how to stick to their own truth no matter what.
Before we start, it’s important to note that we recorded this episode almost a year ago, before the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, so take that into account while listening.
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A few important disclaimers:
This podcast is created and funded by me privately. I don’t belong to any organization, nor does it represent anyone other than myself.
Secondly, I don’t intend this content to provide a justification or excuse for the actions people interviewed did in their past, but rather to learn from their personal experiences and gain insight as to what the process of transformation looks like. Certain parts of the episode could be triggering for you, and I advise taking into consideration that some of the events discussed are morally and ethically challenging (to say the least).
And lastly:
I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which I work as the indigenous people of this country, and pay my respects to their elders, past and emerging.
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You can contact me at @yehavit on Instagram (or write to yahavisinthezone@gmail.com if you’re not on Instagram)
Stuff we mentioned:
iNakba App: https://bit.ly/3om2DOm