Shama'ti was originally formed by congregants from Chadeish Yameinu, a Santa Cruz, CA-based Jewish Renewal congregation. After October 7, 2023 we felt the need to bring the Jewish community together across polarized positions that made it hard to communicate. Sarah Young, a teacher and professional facilitator, along with Batya Kagan, a licensed therapist, began offering listening circles to invite a safe, structured space to hear one another without judgment. The goal of the listening circles was not persuasion or education, but connection. In the process of leading these listening circles, our organizing group grew from two to eight, drawing in others who were inspired by the effectiveness of the work and wanted to share it with a wider audience. At this point, we also moved outside of the umbrella of Chadeish Yameinu to become an independent group.
Over time, we realized that in addition to listening, people wanted more practical skills. Our format evolved from listening circles to teaching skills for dialogue. We began offering workshops inspired by a variety of communication modalities, including non-violent communication, somatic abolition practice, coaching, constructivist listening, working with triggers, and structured role play practice. Our main focus remains not persuasion or education but connection across polarization. We currently offer workshops that apply to a variety of topics for both Jews and non-Jews.