Recently I met someone at an event – making small talk they asked “What’s your story?” I immediately descend into a massive overthinking episode: What do they actually mean? My family history? My work that I do? My challenges, blessings and twists that brought me to this moment? My B Mitzvah portion???

Well, this is the perfect time of year to think about our stories, because we’re about to begin the big story of the Jewish people all over again. Every year, we have the chance to revisit our own stories with new perspectives. And we do the same with the ancient Jewish story.
This past Sunday, Rabbi Amichai, Stephanie Kane and I gathered with pre-teens and parents to share our family stories and begin a “What’s My Story?” journey together through Lab/Shul’s Raising the Bar B Mitzvah program. I’m privileged to help facilitate families investigating, translating and even talking back to our collective stories to write the story we need for this time. If your family would like to join this year’s current cohort, reach out to me or Stephanie Kane.

This Sunday, at Lab/Shul, everyone is invited to literally unscroll the entire Torah and meet the story in both the ancient black letters on white parchment – and in the spaces in between: the beauty, contradictions, wisdom and parts that make us wrestle or even reject. This year, with The Neighborhood and their artist-in-residence Gili Avissar, Rabbi Amichai, Shira, Ben and I will unscroll through song, movement, conversation and dance. Kids are invited on their own story-journeys too, with the beloved educator Maria Serach Lemire and superstar play curator Linda White.

And take these ancient letters out of the Torah scroll and into your headphones or speakers with Rabbi Amichai’s new Alef/Bet podcast. Each week, a new installment brings Amichai into your ears, exploring one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet through Torah, Talmud, mysticism, poetry, philosophy and contemporary Jewish life. This week marks the launch of this immense body of work in a new form, bringing Amichai’s deep exploration of Jewish wisdom directly to you. Listen at your own pace, in your own time, and let these ancient ideas meet your life right now.
At Lab/Shul, story is at the center of our work – whether ancient or modern, we return to it, wrestle with it and find new meaning, year after year.

With gratitude and love,
Naomi Less
Co-Founder, Ritual Leader, Associate Director, and B Mitzvah Education and Ritual Director