An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing: Somatic Practices to Heal Historical Wounds, Unlearn Oppression, and Create a Liberated World to Come

by Wendy Elisheva Somerson

Unapologetically anti-Zionist and firmly rooted in Jewish spiritual values—a liberatory model for Jewish healing

Body-based tools and faith-based practices for processing trauma, reclaiming our agency, and building a world where "never again" means "never again for anyone"

"...an accessible pathway for healing from historical trauma, releasing it from our bodies, and preventing it from being passed on to future generations. This may well be the missing piece for breaking the pattern of violence undergirding Israeli apartheid and occupation.”
—Naomi Klein, author of A Trip Into the Mirror World

Dr. Wendy Elisheva Somerson, PhD, shows how Jewish history lives in Jewish bodies—and how antisemitism and oppression disrupt our access to safety, dignity, and belonging. This unmetabolized trauma can lock us into a survival state that brings historical grief into the present moment…and keep us from exploring critical questions that help us tend our legacies and live into a better world.

How does ancestral grief live on in our bodies and keep us from feeling safe—and how is that fear enacted on other peoples? How do we reconcile a history of persecution with the state power of Israel today?

Each chapter invites us back into the body, exploring healing as a spiritual and political reclamation. With skills-based wisdom for trauma, safety, spiritually grounded intentions, and resourcing ourselves for difficult conversations, this book also helps readers

Trauma and healing through our bodiesJewish longing, belonging, legacies of assimilationHealing shame—of not being Jewish enough, of being too much, and of being complicitEmbodied experiences of Jewish resilience, ritual, and grief
Rooted in justice, care, and spiritual depth, this book asks us to live into a Judaism beyond Zionism. It invites us to heal toward liberation—to reclaim Jewish faith and release Jewish identity from the colonial project of Israel in power, skill, and community.

Genres: Nonfiction, Social Justice, Jewish, Health

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Wendy Elisheva Somerson (Wes) is a queer non-binary, disabled, cat- loving Ashkenazi Jewish somatic healer, writer, activist, and visual artist residing on Duwamish and Coast Salish land. One of the founders of the Seattle chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, they have been active in Palestinian solidarity work for more than two decades.

In their art and organizing they create ritual, images, and stories that help envision Jewish life beyond Zionism. As a politicized healer, Wes works at the intersection of personal and collective healing with individuals, groups, and organizations. They are the creator and facilitator of Ruach, an ongoing anti-Zionist, body-based Jewish healing group.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok so this is by far the most substantive, accessible, and applicable resource i've encountered on somatic healing practices and trauma and would be useful for any (prob lefty) person interested in those subjects. cherry on top was the impressively graceful and grounded focus on what those processes looks like in the jewish community on both the individual and communal level re eretz hakoydesh. manages to give an in-depth and empathetic articulation of zionism as a fight-fueled trauma response to historical oppression stuck in the collective jewish body, which is soooo helpful to think with. wish this could be required reading for all clergy.

[Tina Szpicek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing a book that is about the body is such a challenging task, but Wes has written something that allows the reader to drop into their own body and be seen in all the emotionality that is held there. It is a beautiful blend of their own personal experiences, client anecdotes, and the history of Palestine. Reading this book feels like confiding in a dear friend about the troubles of your past and being met with a response that makes you feel less alone. Both validating, practical, and emotionally resonant. I would recommend this book for anyone seeking to deepen their somatic practices.

[Andi Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wrestling for so long with questions of holding on to my humanity in the face of so much pain. I've wondered what healing means for me, what being Jewish means in this moment, how to hold healing with ritual and somatic practice. This book captures so much of Wes's teachings, which I've found so helpful.

[Rebekah Erev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the resources we need as a Jewish community to deeply heal individually and collectively from the harms of colonialism and late stage capitalism. Somerson gives us tools to garner the courage through our bodies to soften our trauma and embrace the vastness of our expressions of joy. I highly recommend this book to anyone on a path to embracing liberation.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

social work meets somatic healing meets anti-zionist organizing meets jewish embodied spirituality? this book had my name written all over it, and im glad it exists. found myself skimming the “memoir-y” parts — felt a little repetitive and overdone for my taste.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excited to delve into these teachings, which couldn't come at a better time for anti-Zionist Jews in the diaspora.

[Alice Leibowitz]

As an antizionist Jew, I know how much pain is showing up in our bodies right now. Thank goodness for people like WES who offer somatic healing to get us through it.

[Aspen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wes's teachings have transformed my life. Highly recommend checking out this book.

[Mia Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

i wish i had more trauma so i could use all these tactics lol