Everyone has a story.

And from the Jewish people’s earliest communal memories, story has been a central vehicle for teaching, as well as for humor, entertainment, and for sharing our common human experience. Torah is at heart, an unending collection of stories.

From Adam and Eve in the Garden to Moses at the burning bush, from Miriam to Deborah to Esther to Ruth, from Joshua blowing the walls of Jericho down with a shofar to King David dancing in the procession as the Holy Ark was carried into Jerusalem, from tales of Rabbis in the Land of Israel to tales of ordinary Jews living in Poland or Yemen or Morocco or America, stories have established the foundation of Jewish life and illuminated our heritage.

Master storyteller Elie Wiesel taught us, “God made humans because God loves stories.”

This past week our friends and acquaintances provided a window into their lives that most of us have never seen. Listening to their stories, not only did we get to know one another better, we began to deepen our connections as a community. Their stories become part of our collective story. Everyone here, whether speaking or listening, is privileged to be part of writing the Torah of Temple Hillel B’nai Torah.

Thank you to our storytellers, to our master teacher Judith Black, and to all who worked tirelessly to make our Story Slam possible.

May we be blessed to tell and hear stories that amuse, inspire, awaken compassion, and teach us all our days.

May the Holy One love our stories!