Darchei Noam Brings StorahTelling To Ramat HaSharon

Congregation Darchei Noam recently hosted together with two other community groups a special "StorahTelling" pre-Shavuot evening which. StorahTelling is an interactive technique which combines theater, storytelling and audience participation to make the Torah come alive in a contemporary and relevant manner. The method was brought to Israel from New York by Amichai Lau-Lavie and he has trained dozens of Israelis. Our own Rabbi Stacey Blank learned StorahTelling from Lau-Lavie and she was one of the four members of the troupe which performed for a full house of over 100 people last week. Since it was the day before Shavuot, the subject was the story of the Israelites receive the Torah at Mount Sinai, and the audience was asked to imagine that they were at Sinai after the Exodus from Egypt and had to vote whether to accept God's covenant or not. Although a majority of the audience was in favor, there were several dissentions and even abstentions, and a lively discussion ensued. The issues which were raised during the StorahTelling were thought-provoking and very relevant to the lives of modern Jews living in Israel in 2009.

The evening continued with the audience dividing up into smaller study groups, led by Rabbi Blank and others, and then everyone met up again for a fascinating lecture by Avi Yifrach about freedom of choice and destiny.

The following day, Shavuot, services were held for the first time in our new building since our usual venue - a high school auditorium - was unavailable. Traditional prayers were interwoven with "traditional" Israeli songs for Shavuot. Despite the fact that there are still no windows, electricity or even chairs, it was a festive and moving experience.

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