The UPLift with Tzedek: Real Talk for Real Change

What does it take to become Beloved Community ? In Part 2 of Faith Under Fire , we move beyond naming spiritual trauma to the harder work of cultivating communities rooted in dignity, accountability, and care. Our panel explores what it takes to create spaces where people can tell the truth about racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other barriers to belonging without being left to carry those bur...

What happens when the place meant to heal you becomes the source of harm? This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation on spiritual trauma and the role of faith communities in social justice. In this month's episode, five people of faith come together to unpack church hurt and what repair actually requires from communities that claim love. While white Christian nationalism continues to weaponize...

What happens when community leads—and resources follow?  In this episode, we spotlight what became possible through Tzedek’s 2025 Community-Led Grantmaking process, where five local community members helped move $500,000 into Western North Carolina through a strategic funding partnership with Dogwood Health Trust , which matched that investment dollar for dollar. The priorities were clear: People...

What if shelter wasn’t the end goal, but the beginning of coming home?  Join us as Christian Chambers of Safe Shelter breaks down how relationships and radical hospitality are redefining shelter in Asheville. At Safe Shelter, people aren’t “clients.” They’re guests. Led by community health workers and peer leaders with lived experience, Safe Shelter’s practical, wraparound support model centers di...

What if your morning coffee could change lives?  In this episode of The UPLift , we sit down with the Deep Time AVL team to explore how unfiltered engagement, meaningful employment, and fierce collaboration are reshaping reentry in Asheville—one cup at a time.  At Deep Time, coffee becomes the unlikely bridge between prison and possibility. Operating as a coffee roastery and café run with, by, and...

What does it mean to protect Black space in a moment set on erasure?  In this episode, we sit down with Rev. Sean Palmer , Executive Director of the historic YMI Cultural Center , for a grounded, wide-ranging conversation about Black institutions, cultural memory, and the high-stakes work of building Black futures together. Sean invites listeners to see Black cultural centers not as static organiz...

What happens when everyday people stop waiting for permission and start organizing for liberation?  This month, Paula Swepson Avery , Tzedek's 2025 Ella Baker Brilliance Award   recipient, shares her journey into community organizing. It didn't begin with a plan or a grant, but with a plate of food, a room full of neighbors, and a question that changed everything: What is your vision for...

Coupons, queerness, and calling in? Yes, it’s all connected!  We’re back with another episode of The UPLift , and this one’s special because we’re welcoming Bridgitt Belanger , our new Director of Mindful Operations and Finance, to the team and to the mic. So what happens when money, metrics, and meaning actually line up with people’s lives? When soul and spreadsheets intersect? This conversation...

The South holds stories that refuse to fade—stories of resilience, reckoning, and renewal. For queer and trans Southerners, those stories are often equal parts love letter and liberation map.  In this episode, we sit down with Al Murray , Tzedek’s 2025 Pauli Murray Brilliance Award recipient, whose work reminds us that belonging isn’t found, it’s built. Raised in rural Western Kentucky and now roo...

What happens when grantmaking power is placed directly in the hands of the community?  SPOILER ALERT: Amazing things. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on how the Tzedek Social Justice Fund flips the script on philanthropy-as-usual by placing community at the center of decision-making. Tera Coffey , Tzedek's Director of Community-Led Grantmaking , shares her reflections alongside memb...

The silence that descends after community trauma can be deafening. In the aftermath of October 7th, Jewish leaders across Western North Carolina were met with exactly that: grief, fear, and deep uncertainty about how—or even whether—to speak to one another again. In this episode, we sit down with Judy Leavitt , Frank Goldsmith , and Sam Kaplan of the Jewish Leadership Collaborative of WNC , a volu...

What if the future stopped waiting for its turn? This month on The UPLift , we’re handing the mic to six Youth Transformed for Life (YTL) members—and they’re not here to play nice. No filters. No watered-down talking points. Just unshakable truth about identity, belonging, and what community should look like, online and off. From calling out policies that box people out to reimagining community ca...

Tired of chasing freedom? In this episode, we get real about the intersections of Blackness, queerness, and what it means to honor both Pride and Juneteenth with intention, authenticity, and laughter. We're going all in on radical self-acceptance, joy, and vulnerability with our guests, Adonis Lewis II , Jékksyn Icaro , and Torre White-Garrison . Together, they're building spaces where s...

As antisemitism rises in our streets, schools, and politics, how do we build solidarity that protects both Jewish communities and democracy itself? In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, we're lifting up the layered, powerful stories of what it means to be Jewish in the US South today. From sacred rituals to real-talk resistance, this episode explores identity, resilience, and chutzpah i...

What if the real power of community impact lies in the little, everyday connections—those ripple effects we can’t always see?  This month, two brilliant minds get candid in reimagining community transformation, starting with a radical proposition: choose yourself first. The challenge? If we really seek to make a lasting impact in our backyards, we must begin from within before it ever gets to the...

Can one person really make a difference? This month, we put that question to the test—and the answer is a resounding YES! In this episode of The UPLift , Ms. Sophie Dixon shares her hard-won wisdom, reminding us that community connection is where the magic happens. About Ms. Sophie: From serving 15 years as President of the Shiloh Community Association to co-founding WRES 100.7 FM , Ms. Sophie Dix...

Are anti-immigration policies really about national security, or is something deeper at play? This episode of The UPLift explores immigration as a human rights issue as we sit down with Julio Tordoya , an award-winning journalist dedicated to amplifying immigrant voices. He shares how storytelling can be a tool for social justice—especially in times of rising anti-immigration sentiment. About Juli...

When disaster strikes, how do we rise—not just as individuals, but as a collective? In this episode, we reflect on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and ask: Can 2025 be the year of revolutions, not just resolutions? Let’s find out! Join the Tzedek team as we reflect on how shared humanity and bold collaboration can help us rebuild—not only in the wake of Helene but in co-creating a more equitable...

How do communities hit by disaster emerge even stronger and more connected than before?  In this month's episode of “The UPLift,” we explore how Asheville, North Carolina, came together after Hurricane Helene, transforming adversity into a powerful lesson in unity, support, and renewal. We dig into lessons learned by those spearheading collective response, featuring community leaders includin...

How do we harness the power of joy to build a more inclusive world? The Asheville Jewish Community Center's (JCC) Executive Director, Ashley Lasher, has some ideas on how "Jewish Joy" can unlock community and connection both in and beyond shared religion, tradition, ancestry, values, and experience. Listen in as we discuss the vital role of the JCC in strengthening Jewish identity,...

Is empathy an antidote to oppression? This month, "cultural edge walker" April Easter shares her unique journey and the wisdom she's acquired over 20 years in the field, including her pivot from criminology to radical compassion. This candid discussion sheds light on the indispensable role of community in the healing journey, highlighting the profound impact of empathy and inclusivi...

Happy Pride Month and Happy Juneteenth! Both celebrations commemorate the relentless pursuit of liberation, honoring the places we've been and progress we've made while pushing for continued change. In this episode, we're serving Funder-Frontline Realness in welcoming Zeke Christopoulos , our new Director of Mindful Operations & Finance. As a Middle Eastern, Jewish, queer, trans...

What does it mean to build a culture of care? This month, we answer this question as we say goodbye to our outgoing Director of Mindful Operations & Finance, Lindsay Majer, who shares her experiences and reflects on her growth during her eight-year journey at Tzedek.  In this episode, Lindsay opens up about the complexities of crafting people-centered policies that align with organizational va...

Good vibes incoming! This month, we brought the mics to the Tzedek Connect table, digging into how our pasts impact who we are and how we show up in our social justice work today. Featuring voices from various backgrounds, these beautiful reflections illuminate the diverse paths that have led us to this moment. From favorite foods to family values, from "otherness" to overcoming, these c...

Think a bunch of ordinary folks can't change the world? Well, BeLoved Asheville flips that script in five minutes flat. In this month's episode, we're spotlighting what happens when communities rise, organize, and mobilize as BeLoved co-directors Amy Cantrell and Ponkho Bermejo illuminate a path of hope and action that we all can tread. About Amy: Rev. Amy Cantrell , honored as one...