Folklore and Stories

Week of November 18, 2023

Folklore and Stories: A Window to the Soul
Scholars suggest there are only a certain number of plots – all else is elaboration. How then do different cultures and groups tell the “same” story? What does the way such stories are told reveal about the values and dreams of different communities? Why do stories fascinate us so, cause us to remember and help us grow?

Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality
Just about everyone has experienced some exceptional moment of heightened consciousness – a time with nature, the birth of a child or some great event. Discover the key to the fullest expression of life: finding the miraculous in the ordinary or routine moments.

Stories for Leaders
Advice on management strategies is everywhere you look. Why, then, is changing so difficult, if not impossible to achieve? This exciting presentation takes a look at classic folklore, storytelling and leadership for today!

Rabbi Michael R. Zedek is rabbi emeritus of two congregations (Temple B’nai Jehudah in greater Kansas City and Emanuel Congregation in Chicago).  Rabbi Zedek was the recipient of the Danforth Graduate Fellowship for outstanding teaching, a Fulbright-Hays Grant for advanced study in the United Kingdom, and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hamilton College, Clinton, New York. He speaks internationally on spirituality and folklore. Michael Zedek currently serves as Rabbi-in-Residence at St. Paul School of Theology.