Stories We Tell: The Rabbi and the Monastery

Judaism has a deep and rich tradition of storytelling, of passing down stories from one generation to the next. To carry on that tradition, Stories We Tell, from ReformJudaism.org, will share a new story with you every Thursday. Whether you listen while driving to work, preparing Shabbat dinner, or taking your kids to school, each episode will give you a new story to reflect on and discuss with the people in your life. Stories We Tell is a project of the Union for Reform Judaism, a leading voice in the discussion of modern Jewish life. 

Cantor Ellen Dreskin tells the story of a monastery in the woods that has fallen on hard times, and the Rabbi who retreats in the cottage nearby. When the head monk seeks guidance from the Rabbi about how to preserve the monastery, he receives a piece of curious advice that will forever change the monks, the monastery, and the spirit of all who visit the woods.

You can listen to the full Stores We Tell podcast below or on iTunes.

About the Podcaster

Cantor Ellen Dreskin
Cantor Ellen Dreskin

Cantor Ellen Dreskin teaches and consults in a variety of areas, including contemporary Jewish music, synagogue transformation, experiential education, enlivened liturgy, and Jewish mysticism. She serves as Coordinator of the Cantorial Certification Program at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York, and as a former board member and conference chair of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC).  Ellen travels extensively to congregations around the country as a scholar-in-residence, and has taught for many years on the faculty of URJ Summer Kallot, Hava Nashira, and the URJ Kutz Camp Leadership Academy. She is married to Rabbi Billy Dreskin, and is proudest of all of their three joint projects: Katie, Jonah (z”l), and Aiden. Visit her website at ellendreskin.com.

Recent Episodes