In this episode of The Thin Veil, Ezra sits down with Sacramento-based musician, educator, and organizer Eli Conley to explore the intersections of identity, music, and movement work.
Eli shares his journey from growing up in Richmond, Virginia, to coming out as trans, to becoming deeply involved in anti-racist organizing and community-based activism. The conversation traces how those experiences shaped his political framework, including his relationship to anti-Zionism and his path toward Jewish spiritual practice and community-building.
They discuss the role of music as both a personal and collective tool — from songwriting and teaching to leading song-based protest through Singing Resistance. Throughout, Eli reflects on what it means to build spaces where people feel less alone, more connected, and more capable of participating in meaningful change.
Episode Resources:Singing Resistance – A growing, decentralized movement using collective singing as a form of protest, particularly in response to ICE and state violence.
Tzedek Tirdof – A lay-led, explicitly anti-Zionist Jewish spiritual prayer group based in Sacramento.
We would love it if you would consider supporting the following organizations.
Trans Justice Funding Project (TJFP) – A trans-led, community-run funding initiative that provides unrestricted grants directly to grassroots trans organizations, prioritizing trust-based, non-bureaucratic support.
What is The Thin Veil with Ezra Lipp?
The Thin Veil explores what happens when inherited narratives about history, identity, power, and belonging begin to break down—and what it means to move toward greater moral clarity and alignment in their wake.
Centered around Palestine and anti-Zionism, and rooted in musician/activist Ezra Lipp’s own process of political unlearning later in life, the show features conversations with artists, organizers, and others navigating questions of imperialism, colonization, liberation, and the systems shaping our world.