If you asked what I value, I would list writing, community, family, and Judaism in no particular order because, for me, they are all very intertwined. That is why I was interested in pitching a piece for Cincy Jewfolks’s Stories from the Tribe, which was described as: “twelve women on the Bima telling their true Jewish stories that have a thread to Jewish motherhood—all of the ups and downs, highs and lows, laughs and tears that come with the real-life experience of Jewish motherhood in Cincinnati.”

This was the assignment: talk about either being a Jewish mother or having one.

Focus on one moment in time, and the piece should take about five minutes when read aloud. That rather broad assignment gave me lots of ideas—I wrote two essays and submitted one. I was honored that my piece was accepted.

Our first rehearsal was via Zoom. It was the first time we had met as a group or heard each other’s stories. The twelve of us were asked to say our names, who we live with, and our favorite Jewish food. Those intimate questions—not about our resumes or Jewish affiliation—began what became an intimate evening of storytelling where I got to hear eleven other women tell stories that felt familiar, like we really are one family. I got misty. Another cast member sarcastically wrote in the chat, “I’m not crying, you’re crying.”  So, I know I was not alone.

The stories themselves—some funny, some heartbreaking, some heartwarming—were individually wonderful.

However, when I heard them read one after another, creating this tapestry of Jewish women’s life in Cincinnati, I saw that together it was even more beautiful. I am humbled to be part of this amazing group of women from different backgrounds. Our stories ranged from the joys and struggles of labor, knitting, trying to make Hanukkah something special, a Great Dane, b’nai mitzvah, dating, a little bit of marijuana, baking, and the languages of love. We all centered it around Jewish identity.

This was the first time I had met some writers—even then, only virtually, so I only know them from the shoulders up.

 It was awe inspiring to hear these women I had never met before talking about their lives. Some other writers have been in my life as friends. I have experienced highs and lows with them, and to hear them write stories about their experiences was to relive them from a different perspective. I was moved by the rich interconnectedness of our community and the magic of us coming together to simply tell our stories.

There was a through line: that we have so much more in common than we don’t.

We are living Jewish lives in Cincinnati, however we define those lives and however we find families. That interweaving of our lives is something that I have always cherished about my community and my relationships with other Jewish women. When we are together, when we write together, when we pray together, or when we just talk about who we are together, our experiences become richer.

This will not be a dramatic performance or an instructional talk. Rather, it is going to be twelve women on the Bima reading about one moment of their lives.

On November tenth, two thousand twenty-five, when we get together to read our stories in front of our friends and families, we will also see each other in person for the first time, but by then we will already be a family.

I encourage you to join us. It will be a magical night. You can buy tickets here: https://storiesfromthetribe.com.