Facing Our Truths Launches Round II This Winter

Facing our Truths launched in the fall of 2020 with 20 groups and 175 participants. The goal of Facing our Truths (FOT) is to explore new ways to think about race, privilege, and power and create opportunities for transformation of our own understanding and actions. In small groups of 8-10 participants, we’ll share openly and safely about the truths we need to face about ourselves and our role and responsibility in the future.

We invite you to take the first step by creating or joining a small group that will be guided by a trained facilitator. Groups will meet once per month from February through July and follow a curriculum. Pre-session homework will be assigned each month, and monthly meeting times will be decided by the individual groups.

Please register here if you’re interested in participating or facilitating. Our first facilitator training will be held on Tuesday, December 7th at 5:30 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El.

“I was born in Dallas in 1952 and have lived here all my life. Dallas was a different city in the 50’s and 60’s than it is today. I experienced subtle antisemitism and witnessed “Colored” bathrooms and water fountains and segregated seating at the numerous sporting events my father took me to.

A black woman named Beulah Toney came to work for my family when I was two years old, and she remained in my life until she died in 2012. She was like a second mother to me.

I always thought of myself as a progressive person aware of and caring for all humans. As videos began to surface in the last 10 – 12 years of black men and boys being killed by police and hearing about “The Talk” that black parents needed to have with particularly their young sons I realized there was a lot about racial issues I didn’t know.

These all came to mind when I was asked to facilitate one of the “Facing Our Truths” groups and I didn’t hesitate to say yes to the opportunity.

Community Organizing focuses on developing long term relationships to build political power. I have been fortunate the last 10 – 12 years through Just Congregations at Temple and Dallas Area Interfaith to build many meaningful relationships.

Being born and raised in Dallas and at Temple Emanu-El I have always had a community of friends and for the longest time didn’t see the need to expand it. I wasn’t particularly involved at Temple until I started working with Just Congregations. The relationships I have built in that time has been extremely rewarding.

I was only casually acquainted with 4 out of the 8 people in my group when we started. One of the pleasures for me of this experience has been getting to know those four individuals better and building relationships with everyone in the group.”

–Mike Rosen, Temple Board of Trustees and Facing our Truths Facilitator

Questions about Facing our Truths or Temple’s small groups? Please contact Alexandra Horn, Director of Congregational Engagement.