Reading bedtime stories to our children is a favorite ritual of any parent. We are cognizant that show and tell is the greatest way of teaching. The sole purpose of our Passover Seder is to entertain the children through the Exodus narrative. The rituals are the props of the theater presented before us. Our tradition commands us to tell our own story, but before we can narrate, we must be able to listen to the stories that came before us. Every Jewish child grows up understanding the Exodus because we continue to tell it. By Kindergarten, most children can recite it themselves. Rabbi Joseph Hertz teaches the Exodus is more than an annual celebration. its eternal lessons are to be ever before the mind of the Jew.This week I had the good fortune of telling my own story to a group of moms, called “Connecting A Caring Community.” Each month, this group listens to a story, and performs an action based on the words they heard. After I concluded my presentation, the moms commenced in sharing their own stories of struggle, faith and achievement. I was amazed that my words could invoke others to use their words to share in this important mitzvah. That is how a community connects; not by holding our stories in our hearts, but by pouring those stories out of our hearts. The Torah does not suggest sharing stories. The Torah demands we tell our stories. This week, let your story be told.
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