Calling all Story Seekers.
Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival
November 16 & 17
Festival Schedule
SATURDAY, November 16
VIP reception
A Taste of the Garden of Eden
Ages 13+
Book Signing
6:00 – 7:00 PM Conference A & B
7:00 – 8:00 PM Performance and Q&A Auditorium
8:00 – 8:30 PM Lobby
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Noa offers a unique approach to storytelling in communities and organizations. Since 1982, she has inspired and educated audiences of all ages with her performances, keynotes, and workshops.
Noa holds a BFA in Theater from Tel Aviv University and was an actress with the Khan Repertory Theater of Jerusalem. She also studied with acclaimed acting teacher Uta Hagen in New York and holds a Master of Arts in Educational Theater and Drama Therapy from New York University (NYU).
She continues to combine storytelling and drama while working in a school for emotionally disturbed boys in Tel-Aviv. Noa also taught early childhood and special education teachers at several colleges, including Levinsky Teachers College.
Noa has lived in the U.S since 1990 and tours internationally. She has presented in Australia, Turkey, Sweden, the UK and in Israel and at hundreds of venues in the U.S.
Noa is the author of a memoir A Land Twice Promised—an Israeli Woman’s Quest for Peace —winner of the Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award, the LDS Publishing Professionals Association Award, and a Storytelling World Award—and a picture book How the Birds Became Friends, on the power of kindness to bring peace.
Her audio recordings won Parents’ Choice and Storytelling World awards. Noa is a member of the National Storytelling Network, she lives in the Washington D.C. metro area and was voted by The Washington Jewish Week as one of 10 most interesting local Jews.
Noa Baum
Photo: Philip Muriel
SUNDAY, November 17
Children’s Storytime
with Noa Baum 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Auditorium
Ages 3-8 with an adult
Story Schmooze
Facilitated by Audrey Galex 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Conference A & B
Adults, teens, and tweens
Lunch Break 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Hidden Treasures:
Your Story is a Gift Storytelling Workshop led by Noa Baum 1:00 – 3:00 PM Conference A & B
Adults and teens 16+
Limit 40 participants
Olio: An Assortment of Jewish Stories
Facilitated by Audrey Galex and Rick Stone 2:00 – 3:00 PM Conference A & B
Adults and teens
Storytelling at The Breman:
Discover New Stories
Self-guided exploration 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Adults, teens, and tweens
“Holy Moly” Story Cabaret
Explore The Breman’s four galleries and uncover stories that span generations and cultures.
Stories from on and off the pulpit by local rabbis 4:00 - 5:00 PM Auditorium
Adults and teens
Spark! An Open Mic Event
Emceed by Stacey Shulman 5:00 – 6:00 PM Auditorium
Adults and teens
Advisors
Audrey Galex is a dynamic storyteller, journalist, and community advocate dedicated to amplifying voices, fostering connections, and inspiring positive change. Born and raised in Rock Island, IL, Audrey’s passion for storytelling blossomed along the banks of the Mississippi River. Her debut children’s book, Turtle Rocks, is a testament to her belief in the transformative power of storytelling, inviting readers of all ages on a journey of discovery, resilience, and the magic of believing in oneself.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Audrey finds joy in dancing to live music, singing in piano bars, playing miniature golf, and spending quality time with her family. She believes in the power of stories to open hearts and minds, fostering understanding and empathy in an ever-changing world. Audrey Galex’s journey is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling to inspire, connect, and transform lives. Through her work, she continues to share the beauty of the human experience, one story at a time.
Stacey Beth Shulman is a subtle disruptor, gentle activist, and intuitive creatrix. She found reality storytelling through MothUp Atlanta, and has since told stories for MothUp, Carapace, the Southern Order of Storytellers, the Museum of Design Atlanta, Rabbit Box, and many other festivals and events. A native of Atlanta, Stacey’s stories often feature local landmarks from years past. When she is not telling stories, Stacey can be found teaching yoga and art classes, cake decorating, and being a helicopter mom to her two cats, Willow and Olive.
Richard Stone is a nationally recognized speaker on the power of story and its applications in business, healthcare, and education. He got his start over 30 years ago developing story-based training programs for team building and leadership development and has been a leader
Audrey Galex
Stacey Beth Shulman
Richard Stone
in the health and psychological benefits of narrative reminiscence. His current work at StoryWork International is focused on using the power of story to assist leaders to transform their organizations and their approach to leading, infusing their work with deeper purpose and meaning.
Stone has authored The Healing Art of Storytelling, Stories: The Family Legacy, The Kingdom of Nowt, and co-wrote The Patient Survival Handbook. His new book,
co-authored with Scott Livengood, entitled Story Intelligence was released in 2021.
Stone has written and produced a one-man show based on the stories of the Baal Shem Tov entitled The Maggid, and more recently, has written and co-produced Flames of Freedom, a historical drama that traces the lives of the first Jews who escaped the Inquisition in Portugal and deadly pogroms in Eastern Europe seeking freedom in the new Georgia Colony in 1733.
Olio: An Assortment of Jewish Stories
Hank Kimmel is an Atlanta-based playwright/ dramaturg who typically writes about former athletes, religious strays, and distressed lovers. He is actively involved with the Alliance for Jewish Theatre, whose mission is to promote and preserve Jewish theatre throughout the world. He’s written scores of plays (including one a day for 365 days during the Pandemic), many of which can be found on the New Play Exchange. Locally, he is a founding member of Working Title Playwrights, a theatre company dedicated to the development of playwrights and new plays. Hank has been a long-time member of The Temple and serves on its Cultural Arts Committee. For more, www. hankkimmel.com.
Hank shares “The Most Romantic Day of My Life (and I Almost Missed It),” a tale of fate, dating, and the 1984 New York Mets. It begins with a chance encounter on a Manhattan Street, where a young woman, desperate to escape an unseen pursuer, pulls a hesitant Hank into her world. What starts as an unexpected rescue becomes a life-altering moment neither could have predicted. Content alert: References to the 1984 New York Mets may be unsettling for Braves, Yankees, and Mets fans alike.
Amy Lighthill iis an inveterate dabbler, has been a Friendly’s waitress, Boston museum curator, writer, middleschool teacher, pro-adjacent volunteer, crafting failure, CBH chorus member, and, most importantly, a proud mother
and grandmother. She currently lives in pastoral yet progressive Pine Lake, GA.
Amy presents “Everyone’s Jewish, Sooner or Later,” which will detail the myriad spiritual highways and by-ways Amy travelled on her way to realizing she was actually Jewish.
Barry Stewart Mann is an actor, educator, storyteller, multilinguist, and playwright who teaches children and adults. He instills in his work a sense of the common humanity that transcends cultures and borders, and the responsibility that we all share to work toward social justice through the exchange of ideas, stories, and experiences. An Atlanta resident since the mid 1990s, Barry has worked with many of the city’s and state’s premiere cultural institutions, including the Alliance Theatre, the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Emory University, the Children’s Museum, the Atlanta Zoo, and the Atlanta History Center.
Barry will tell the story of Heshel and Keshel, two twin brothers who may look alike but are worlds apart in character. Through animated gestures and a touch of song, Barry brings this folktale to life, capturing the charm of Heshel’s kindness and the pitfalls of Keshel’s greed. Heshel, seeking peace, finds an unexpected blessing on his journey, while Keshel, following in envy, meets a different fate. It’s a tale of how the spirit we bring shapes the road ahead.
Faye Pous was born in Kansas City, Missouri (GO CHIEFS!!!). Her high school guidance counsellor said ‘You should go to Hofstra University; you’ll like it, there’s lots of Jews there’. So she headed off to the wilds of Long Island, where it turned out that Mrs. Olsen was half-right, there were a lot of Jews there! When she came to Atlanta to go to Emory Law School, she had no expectation of Jews being there, so imagine her delight when she found 2/3 of the student body were MOTs. She fell in love with EVERYTHING about the city and the people, and even has a peach tree in her backyard, making her an official southern belle, no?! She has three grown children, Perry, Max and Sallie, no grandchildren (we’re not ready yet!), and has recently discovered a love of storytelling through The Moth, competing in the Grand Slam competition last month.
Faye tells the story of her parents’ survival through the Holocaust.
Jack Walsh is a television producer, writer, storyteller, dad, and (extremely) amateur musician living in Decatur, GA. He has performed at the Moth, Story Collider, DragonCon, and more, and his work has appeared in Creative Loafing, on WABE, and on PBS stations nationwide.
Jack tells the story of NaCl (“Salt”), where he finds himself caught in a web of retail seduction spun by a clever Israeli salesperson. Mixing humor and humility, Jack weaves in the tale of Lot’s Wife, WikiLeaks, and luxury skincare, creating a story filled with international flair, personal missteps, and a dash of Torah.
Reay K. Maxwell is an Atlanta based actress and puppeteer, as well as the Education Initiatives Manager at the Center for Puppetry Arts. Reay holds a B.S. in Acting from Syracuse University and a M.A. in Puppetry from the University of Connecticut. Her work has been seen at the Center
For Puppetry Arts, the Alliance Theatre, 7 Stages, Synchronicity Theatre, Dad’s Garage and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, to name a few. In addition to theatrical performance, Reay works as a Standardized Patient for Emory Medical School and School of Nursing and will be teaching Agnes Scott’s first Puppetry class next semester. Reay is also an audiobook narrator and her voice can be heard in 30+ titles, available through Audible.com.
Reay and her puppet share beloved and humorous tales from Chelm, where the so-called “wise men” delightfully bungle their way through one absurd situation after another. Through these classic Jewish folktales, Reay brings laughter as the wise men of Chelm reveal their wonderfully foolish sides.
Holy Moly! A Story Cabaret
Rabbi Michael Bernstein is the spiritual leader of Gesher L’ Torah in Alpharetta, GA. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and served congregations in Massachusetts and Philadelphia before coming to Atlanta with wife Tracie and their three children Ayelet, Yaron and Liana. He was inducted to the Martin Luther King Board of Preachers at
Morehouse College in April 2015, honored by SOJOURN in 2016 for his advocacy for the LGBTQ community. Rabbi Bernstein is also a chaplain for the Johns Creek Police Department as well as for Milton Fire and Public Safety. He remains a fan of mostly hopeless New York teams.
Rabbi Bernstein shares the story of “Sabbath Worship followed by the Starlight Orchestra on the Promenade Deck.” It’s a tale of connection, tradition, and the beauty of celebrating Sabbath in an unforgettable setting.
Rabbi Daniel Dorsch is the senior rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta, Georgia. He is currently the president of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association, a group of nearly 100 multi-denominational rabbis from across the Atlanta area. He also serves locally on the boards of JNF, AJC, and the Kennesaw State University Holocaust Museum. Rabbi Dorsch enjoys golf, studying Daf Yomi, barbecuing in the winter, and spending time with his family.
Rabbi Dorsch shares the story of his unexpected adventure as a contestant on an Israeli reality TV show.
Rabbi Josh Hearshen Rabbi Josh Hearshen is senior rabbi at Congregation Or VeShalom in Brookhaven. Rabbi Hearshen credits an engaged Jewish upbringing and his Sunday School teacher, a Holocaust survivor, for his path to the rabbinate. He enjoys teaching concepts in new and unique ways that grab people’s attention and keeps them active. Rabbi Hearshen and his wife, Carrie, an accomplished Jewish educator who teaches at Atlanta Jewish Academy, have two daughters, Ayelet and Galit. In his spare time, Rabbi Hearshen reads, plays percussion instruments and the ukulele, plays hockey, cooks,
writes and roots for the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Rabbi Hearshen shares stories of the Baal Shem Tov, bringing to life the wisdom of Shabbat and the importance of truly seeing and understanding others.
Rabbi Joshua Z. Heller has served as the Senior Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs since 2004 and has helped the synagogue grow to be one of the largest in Georgia. Heller graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard with a degree in computer science, but then turned down offers from Silicon Valley to become an eighth-generation rabbi. Heller is married to Wendy Heller, who works as a senior manager at Deloitte and is also active in the Atlanta Jewish community. They have raised three children with the help of the Epstein School, the Weber School, and Camp Rama.
Rabbi Heller shares the story of “Unsolicited Denials,” exploring the curious phenomenon of unprompted refusals. With wit and wisdom, he reflects on how an unexpected denial—offered before he even asked— hinted at deeper contemplation and led to lasting consequences. It’s a tale of intuition, human nature, and the surprising impact of words left unspoken.
Rabbi Joe Prass graduated from the University of Minnesota and the Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion and was ordained in 1999. He has been both a senior and associate rabbi, the regional director for NFTY (National Federation of Temple Youth), and developed educational programs for all ages. He is the
Director of the Weinberg Center for Holocaust Education at The Breman responsible for bringing Holocaust education to synagogues, organizations, and schools. Rabbi Prass also serves as Congregation Ner Tamid’s rabbi. He is married to Leslie Wise Prass and has three children, Hannah, Adam, and Jenna.
Wait...I’m Where? How does a rabbi find himself in such a situation?
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THE BREMAN
Thank You to Our Community Partners
And special thanks to:
Carapace Atlanta
The Moth in Atlanta
OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute)
The Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival is presented with support from:
MAYOR’S OFFICE OF Cultur al Affairs
This program is supported in part by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
ATLANTA JEWS OF COLOR COUNCIL
The World Photographs Jerusalem Now on view at
Photo: “Jerusalem of Gold,” Michael Shmidt, Israel
