What inspired you to start a story-circle project in your congregation?

I was lucky enough to have been here for six months before the pandemic hit. In that time, I did manage to get to each family. I wondered, as COVID hit, what could help people feel more connected? How could I get people to know each other’s stories? I wanted to bring people together in spite of COVID.

For clarity, what does story-circle mean in this context?

It is a technique borrowed from community organizing. The idea is that you start with a prompt and invite each participant to respond, uninterrupted. Then there is another round with crosstalk from which we build together. Everyone speaks; everyone listens; and in doing so, a community forms. It helps to have a facilitator to maintain norms and both to keep things moving and to leave quiet spaces to take it all in.

Was there a catalyst that pushed your project forward?

There were a few, actually. My adult education chair is forward-thinking, and she asked what we might do in response to the incidents of police brutality. I responded with the story-circle idea. I have a good friend who is a specialist that I thought we could bring in. Together, we put together an initial group of about 12 people.

My friend Ben Fink, whom Time Magazine featured as one of 27 people bringing people together, definitely pushed us forward. He led a workshop that got us probing deep. With his help, we started to ask what are the biggest dreams of our community. 

The Center for Rabbinic Innovation has been a tremendous resource. I am grateful for the space with colleagues where I know I will be productive. Their materials are brilliant for curating conversations and incubating new directions. 

Where is the project at now?

We have expanded with a kind of ripple effect of people bringing in others. Since mid-August about 25% of the congregation has been interviewed. Now that the holidays are over, the group is re-convening; it will be the first time we meet without Ben. We had thought about doing a big community-wide version for Sukkot, but we realized that we were not ready. The great thing, though, is that friendships are developing that did not exist before.

Can you share any key learnings from the process?

We are still in the thick of it. Already, though, I can say start small and take incremental steps. It is important to keep it digestible for the group. They were right for us not to jump into something big. I think it was also good that we did not front-load a specific goal because that left room for people to push back a little and get invested.