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on the Hasidic Stories Home Page

Updated as of Tuesday, August 5, 2003

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The entire site has been tweaked for better compliance with the HTML 4.0 standard. This should result in improved performance on Netscapte Navigator and some other browsers. March 10, 2003
Now, you can easily order recordings of Hasidic and other tales, via the secure server on the Hasidic Stories Home Page On-Line Store
Announcing a new service: monthly, free, email updates when stories or articles are added to this site. Never miss a new story again! You may even choose to have the entire new feature story emailed to you when it is posted.

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Stories
Hasidic stories themselves, although ideally told in-person, nonetheless retain much of their power in printed form.
To reduce any confusion about which stories are traditional, adapted from Hasidic tradition, or original, there is now a more consistent policy about attribution of the stories on this site. Added January 2, 2002.
Links now appear on each story to "next story" and "previous story." No more going back and forth between the Stories page and each additional story. Added February 1, 2000.

Angels Feel No Sorrow. Added August 5, 2003.
Young Rabbi Pesach Mendel is deeply in love. Yet his soon-to-be fiancee seems to expect their relationship to be more than it is. Could their love turn into the divine union it had been fated to be? What causes the young rabbi's sudden, life-threatening illness? How could Tisha BeAv, the holiday that mourns great tragedies in Jewish history, be the backdrop for a love story? Angels Feel No Sorrow takes on the themes of love, grieving, relationships between men and women, and our human ability to change and grow.
The Buttons on the Mountain. Added March 10, 2003.
The young rabbi climbs high up the mountain to pray - and finds a surprise that will change his life. What is the role he must assume, for the good of the world? What is the meaning of the silk pillow with the two strange buttons? How could those puzzles possibly be related? The Buttons on the Mountain is a new story of joy, the human role in creation, and the passing of the torch from one leader to another.
The Man-Servant's Tale. Added February 17, 2003.
The powerful landowner has died, and left a will instructing his son to take property from the Jews. Understandably, Rabbi Pesach Mendel is angry. But has the old sire really betrayed the Jews? Why is his manservant knocking, late at night, at the rabbi's door? The Man-Servant's Tale is an dramatic story of difficult decisions, of determination, and of the cleverness and strength of women.
What Stories Should a Hasid Tell?. Added January 20, 2003.
What happened, to keep the Rabbi Simcha Bunam's Hasidim up all night? What about Yitzchak, the youngest and the most strict about what Hasidim should do? How did the rabbi loosen the yoke Yitzchak had made for himself? What Stories Should a Hasid Tell? is a lighthearted excursion into teaching, storytelling, and the importance of joy.
Can You See the Turning?. Added December 10, 2002.
What hurtful thing has the rabbi done? Why can't he make it right? How does a little girl help him find the way to "turn back"? Can You See the Turning? is a story not only of repentance, but also of listening to children, assembling the story of everyone involved, and the power and problems of community.
The Girl of the Flame. Added November 16, 2002.
A little girl, the only survivor of a forest fire, sits silently, week after week. What is it about the rabbi's sermon that finally causes her to speak? The Girl of the Flame is a new story of hope and healing, for Hanukkah and any time that life seems to scorch your soul.
A Small Miracle. Added October 2, 2002.
If the Baal Shem Tov is so kind and generous, why is this founder of the Hasidic movement eating everything owned by a poor family? A Small Miracle is a story about asking for help - perfect for Rosh Hoshanah and for any time we need to reach beyond our own resources.
The Kitten. Added September 6, 2002.
In the middle of Yom Kippur services, the stranger gets up to leave. Why? How can the rabbi keep him "in the fold"? What does this have to do with the rabbi's wife's story of two boys and a wild cat? The Kitten is a story of inclusion and listening for the High Holy Days - and year around.

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Articles
You can read articles about the background, interpretation, performance, and applications of Hasidic stories.

Are Stories An Antidote? by Doug Lipman. Added February 18, 2003
A letter from a fan of storytelling got Lipman thinking about the overall impact of certain kinds of stories. Is it possible that stories can help us find a balance between dealing with harsh realities and maintaining our spiritual integrity? These thoughts led to some new ideas about how to present Lipman's storytelling recordings.

Story Wrestling: Healing Through Telling Hasidic Stories. Added December 6, 2000
Much has been written about the power of Hasidic stories for transforming the listener. But what about their effect on the one who tells them? Doug Lipman describes an ongoing experiment in healing.

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Resources
Available resources about Hasidic stories include:

A Bibliography of Hasidic Stories and Storytelling
A selected bibliography of traditional and contemporary sources.
Links
Many web sites include Hasidic stories or information relevant to their meaning, telling, or background. Here is a collection of links to the most useful and interesting sites.
The Soul of Hope
"The Soul of Hope" is a two-act Hasidic story with its own website, http://soulofhope.net.

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This page was last updated on Tuesday, August 5, 2003
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