Jewish Federation Hits the Road This Fall to Capture the Stories of Jewish St. Louis

New mobile storytelling experience seeks to find “Stories that Move Us,” part of Federation’s 125th anniversary celebrations

What makes Jewish St. Louis special?

It’s the people across our community and the stories, traditions, memories, and experiences they carry with them.

Maybe it’s the Shabbat you learned your bubbe’s challah recipe. The summer you fell in love with Jewish camp. The story your grandfather told every Passover. The immigration journey that your family took prior to arriving in St. Louis. The congregation that became a second home. The friend who changed your life. Or the moment you realized what being Jewish means to you.

Together, these tell the collective story of Jewish St. Louis. And the Jewish Federation of St. Louis wants to hear yours.

As part of its 125th anniversary year, Federation is launching Stories That Move Us, a new mobile storytelling experience designed to celebrate the people behind 125 years of Jewish life and capture the stories shaping our community today.

And it really does move.

Housed inside a custom-built Sprinter van, the professional storytelling studio on wheels is complete with comfortable seating, cameras, microphones, and everything needed to turn a conversation into a lasting piece of community history.

The idea is simple: Everyone has a story worth telling.

“Jewish history isn’t only found in archives or history books. It lives in the stories we tell around our dinner tables, in our congregations, at camp, and from one generation to the next,” said Danny Cohn, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. “Some stories will make us laugh. Some may make us cry. Others may be about moments that seemed small at the time but stayed with someone for a lifetime. Together, they tell the story of our community; where we came from, who we are today, and what we want to carry forward.”

Inspired by storytelling projects such as StoryCorps, community members will be invited to step inside the mobile studio as pairs. Whether you join with a friend, sit down with a parent or grandparent, interview your child, or connect with a colleague, each unscripted conversation will take its natural course and may even lead to something unexpected.

The stories collected may be featured through Federation’s website, social media, anniversary programming, and other community storytelling efforts, creating an evolving portrait of Jewish life in St. Louis during Federation’s historic 125th year. All stories captured will be digitally archived and preserved for generations to come.

The mobile storytelling experience will be in our community through the end of November. The list of appearances is still being finalized, and organizations will have an opportunity to schedule for the van to visit a location or attend a community event by submitting a request at JFedSTL.org/125Stories.

Click here to read The Light’s article about the Stories That Move Us.