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Community Corner

Beth Jacob Congregation Get a Lesson in Storytelling for New Work of Art

Artist Susan Armington leads group through the storytelling process for her new piece.

Listening to each other is one of the hardest things we have to do, according to Rabbi Lynn Liberman of in Mendota Heights. “We like to jump into quiet spaces and make noise. There is a reason why we have two ears and just one mouth,” she said.

Last Sunday, members of the congregation participated in a guided process of telling their own life stories and listening, really listening, to those of strangers. The written results of the storytelling session will be incorporated into a new work by artist-in-residence Susan Armington. Armington plans to collage pieces of the stories into a painting, accompanied by a book with the complete written versions.

Sunday’s project is the second program in connection with .

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 At the door, Liberman greeted members of the congregation as they filled the room on the quiet afternoon. Spirited storyteller Carla Vogel led introductions and encouraged the group to stand in a circle, move around to get warmed up and relaxed.

 “We are creating beautiful sparks to go out into the community,” said Vogel. “This is to take away the rest of the day and be present with each other.” She then shared from her own life as an example of the storytelling process, speaking about the inspiration she gained by meeting an 88-year-old woman who was studying for her Bats Mitzvah. “My heart broke open so much,” she said about the experience.

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 Congregation member Roseanne Zaidenweber provided another example, sharing with the group a story about feeling accepted in the Beth Jacob community when she first joined, and how much this meant to her.

 Participants were paired with a partner they didn’t already know, to share their own stories. Adults were asked to answer the question “What do you find compelling about Beth Jacob?” and children were asked “What’s good about being at Beth Jacob?”

 “The idea is just to start out with a moment, a lively story,” said Armington, “We are looking for lovely details that unfold, learning how to really listen.”

 Each person was given fifteen minutes to answer out loud to their partner, giving the speaker time to think and not worrying about the silences.

 Next, each person was given a half-hour to write what they thought was the most important part of the story they shared, first using scratch paper, then making a final copy on white paper with black pen.

 Armington said she loves the idea of using handwriting in her work, the actual writing can sometimes become more important than the words. “The handwriting is like a voice. This is all about making your unique mark,” she said.

 The room was lively throughout the entire event. A small gong sounded to end each phase of the process.

“I loved seeing the variety of people who chose to come, watching them engage with each other," said  Zaidenweber. "You don’t often spend time with people you don’t know. It was like seeing a community being built before your eyes, people really talking and listening to each other. And when it was time to write they were so quiet, taking it very seriously. It was all just really lovely to me. “

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