These are the stories that I created for my children, to support a feeling of connection with nature within our celebrations of the Jewish festivals at home. They arose organically to honour and nurture that evening time wonder to which children are particularly sensitive and to hold and carry the festival’s atmosphere through its duration. The first Story that I created was Jacob and his Blanket Bundle, which I offered to my eldest daughter, then three, through a nightly opening transparency window, backlit by candles. Each evening, beginning Rosh Hashanah, continuing through the days of reflection and finishing at Yom Kippur, we opened a new window and I read the corresponding part of the story in semi-darkness. This story is now offered to you through photographs of each of the transparency windows and the corresponding text. In this way I invite you to share with us, if you wish, in the tradition of the gradual unfolding of a festival tale. This evening by evening happening still continues in our home with our youngest daughter who in now three.

 

Shanah and the Ram, came about when our second daughter was old enough to want Jacob to be read in her room, but the oldest wanted something special to happen in her evening space too, and was also at an age of curiosity about cycles of life and death in the natural world.

 

Toile’s Sukkot stars came later still, in reflection of some of the traditions which had developed as part of our Sukkot celebrations, and of my noticing of my middle child’s enchantment by my mother showing her the stars hidden in flowers and fruit.

​

Toile’s Wonderful Questioning arose from my middle daughter’s question as to why I hadn’t yet created a Pesach story. When I in turn asked her who the story should be about she told me that she wanted to know more about Toile. For this story, as a response to the questions within the Seder, I took inspiration from the beautiful awe filled wonderings that my children voiced, often after their time playing in nature.

 

These tales transmit the feeling and meaning of the festivals via simple happenings in the story children’s celebratory days.  They reflect my recognition of the child’s tendency to find deep understanding through doing, rather than abstract telling; together with their need to feel the support and echo of their spirituality within the natural world.