We Are the Stories We Tell

Jews have been telling stories since… well, forever. And that’s because storytelling has always been at the centre of Jewish traditions. The late Elie Wiesel once said, “God created man because God loves stories.”

The 2022 Toronto International Storytelling Festival is excited to present an evening of traditional and contemporary Jewish tales, featuring the phenomenal Dan Yashinsky, who will be joined by some of the most accomplished storytellers in the city, and perhaps even some from abroad.

The presentation is co-sponsored by the Forest Hill Lions Club, which will be hosting a post event meet-and-greet for the cast and audience.

The Toronto International Storytelling Festival is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, and Canadian Heritage.  This event is presented in association with the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre.

Featured Artists:

Dan Yashinsky

Dan Yashinsky is a storyteller, writer, and community animator.  In 1978 he founded the Toronto Storytelling Festival. He is currently working on a documentary film called The Wisdom of Solomons, and a series of YouTube folktales titled The Storyteller’s Ass.

Brian Katz

An outstanding guitarist, pianist and composer who bridges modern jazz, classical and various world music, Brian is internationally acclaimed for his orchestral approach to solo guitar playing and for his evocative compositions and fiery free (open) improvisations. He has worked with many storytellers over the years, especially in partnership with Dan Yashinsky. Of Brian’s solo guitar recording, Leaves Will Speak, noted European music critic Alexander Schmitz wrote in Jazz Podium (Germany), “If you want music that speaks—here it is.” www.briankatz.com

Raphael Rodan

Raphael Rodan is an award-winning theatre maker and storyteller. His training as an artist lasted over ten years. Together with Sahand Sahebdivani, he created hit storytelling shows like the winner of the Amsterdam Fringe 2017: “My Father Held a Gun”, about the nature of war. His work has received international recognition, playing in theatres and festivals all over Europe. Apart from writing and performing, Raphael also teaches. He is the cofounder of the Mezrab Storytelling School, working both with ancient and personal stories and examining the connection between them. https://raphaelrodan.com

Shonaleigh Cumbers

A Drut’syla (storyteller) and tradition-bearer from the Yiddish oral tradition, Shonaleigh has been telling stories within the secular world for almost 30 years across Europe, North America and New Zealand. She was shortlisted for the Arts Foundation Award in 2009 and was UK deputy National Storytelling Laureate 2010-12. She performs from the Barbican to Burngreave Village Hall, from the Albert Hall to Albert Park in Unstone, from the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough to the local Netherthorpe Library, and all the points in between. She is currently Artistic Director at House of the West Wind. https://shonaleigh.uk

Michael Wex

Author of three books on Yiddish, including the bestselling Born to Kvetch, Michael Wex has been sharing storytelling stages with Dan Yashinsky and Brian Katz since 1978. A native-speaker whose Yiddish songs have been recorded by such bands as the Grammy-winning Klezmatics, Wex has translated material ranging from classical Yiddish literature to testimony for war crimes trials. His most recent major project Baym Kabaret Yitesh, an all-Yiddish cabaret show, which he wrote and directed, premiered at the 2019 edition of Yiddish Summer Weimar.

Vicky Juditz

Vicki Juditz has performed her original stories at theaters and festivals across the country, including Sierra, Flying Leap, Timpanogos, Minnesota, Storytelling Arts of Indiana, and Bay Area storytelling festivals as well as the Aspen LAFF Festival.  Twice a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival, she has also been an Artist in Residence for the International Storytelling Center, both located in Jonesborough, TN.  She performed at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark as part of USA Today’s Storytellers Project, shared an environmental activism story for Story Collider Los Angeles’ episode “Difficult Decisions”,  and won the 2021 Ladies of Laughter Storytelling Competition.  In January of 2022, she performed “Solo at the End of the World” for the PlayGround Solo Performance Festival in San Francisco.