Sunday, April 3, 2011!

Our 2011 session is underway!

The kids have been meeting each Sunday with storyteller-coaches Mary Murphy, Marni Gillard and Nancy Payne...and storyteller-coaches-in-training Micki Groper and Aviva Rossman...(5! count 'em!! 5! coaches) working on stories to tell at our event, scheduled for April 3, 2 PM, at the beautifuul and historic Christ Church United Methodist in Troy.

Mark your calendars for April 3! This year we'll bring back the ever popular international vegetarian potluck supper after the storytelling- our last one was 2 years ago. Hope to see you there!

What People Are Saying About Children at the Well

Click here to read what students, parents and listeners are saying about Children at the Well.

Interfaith Understanding Conference in Rochester

We want to be sure that everyone on this email list is aware of the groundbreaking interfaith conference happening at Nazareth College in Rochester, starting April 11th. The Interfaith Story Circle and Children at the Well are on the program! We'll be there with two of our young tellers and six adults from the Interfaith Story Circle for the weekend.

But there will also be nationally known presenters, and many very interesting talks. They have lowered the price for attending the entire conference (which includes meals) to only $175. They have also decided to sell tickets to some of the talks, so you can choose to just pay for an event or two.

We're inviting you to join us. Please take a look at the conference links I've pasted in below.
Maybe we'll see some of you in Rochester!

-Paula

https://interfaith2010.naz.edu/

2010 IUC Schedule

4/11 - "The Art of Dialogue: Interfaith Dialogue Across the Generations"
4/11 - "The Divine Feminine: The Foundation of the Abrahamic World"
4/12 - "Acts of Faith: Interfaith Leadership in a Time of Global Religious Crisis"

View the Complete 2010 IUC Conference Schedule

Now Available: Conference Plenary & Special Event Tickets
Tickets to for individual conference plenaries are now available. Place your ticket order and discover the inspirational spirit and wisdom of world-renowned interfaith leaders.
READ MORE


Sr. Joan Chittister - $40.00
The Divine Feminine: The Foundation of the Abrahamic World
April 11, 2010 – starting at 4:00 p.m. in Shults Center,, Gym
This plenary includes the Grand Opening Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
READ MORE

Dr. Eboo Patel - $20.00
Acts of Faith: Interfaith Leadership in a Time of Global Religious Crisis
April 12, 2010 – 8:00 p.m. in Arts Center, Callahan Theateer
READ MORE

Thank You
The 2010 IUC was made possible by generous contributions of the Greater Rochester Area business community leaders under the leadership of Brian and Jean Hickey.

Groundbreaking Interfaith Understanding Conference at Nazareth College Restructures Pricing
Rochester, N.Y. (March 9, 2010) - The 2010 Interfaith Understanding Conference restructures pricing to entice more people, from all generations, from around the country, to attend this event.
READ MORE


IFYC trainers at the 2010 IUC - Sunday, April 11th, 2010 - The Art of Dialogue: Interfaith Dialogue Across the Generations
about 40 days ago from web

2010 Interfaith Understanding Conference on Facebook

Interns' Interfaith Story Circle on 1/13/10

Marni writes about the Interns' Interfaith Story Circle 1/13/10:

On January 13th, our OLDER students from Children at the Well told their tales at the monthly adult Interfaith Story Circle. Well, we TRIED to make it a circle but with the families and the people that the venue drew - St. Helen’s priest did a really good job of promoting it - we had over 50 people and just couldn’t make the circle work chair-wise. But the kids were spectacular! They blew our MINDS; they were the best they’d ever been. I’m so so so grateful for this interfaith work, especially being part of the teen project. If it hadn’t been for Adah Hetko who began coming to the adult group and whose mom, Paula Weiss, said, “Couldn’t we do a youth group?”, we wouldn’t exist.

… We got so caught up in the kids we FORGOT to ask for donations tonight or even pass the email list to get names of the adults who hadn’t come before. What a hoot!
[IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE EMAIL LIST FOR THE INTERFAITH STORY CIRCLE, PLEASE SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO paulabweiss@gmail.com]

But tho we messed up in that area tonight, it didn’t matter. It was so special, and it was all about the kids and the way they told.

Do you know BEN Russell, who is our oldest Jewish student? Well he told a story about the golem (I think Mark Binder wrote it) that was so amazing. Neither Mary nor I had heard it. Brand new, he just learned it on his own, but he was the “last leg of the relay team” - the final teller in a night of 12 teen tellers (took almost the full two hours) and he just WOWED everyone. Mary and I laugh that he is ready for the Catskills! A true comedian, only it’s all about Chelm, and in THIS case about the name of G_D being what created the Golem. I have to thank Mark, too, for this amazing tale.

I don’t think I’m going to get to sleep tonight I’m so full of images. But at the same time it is a sweet calm happiness.

It isn’t just because the kids told well, but these were tales about G_D and values – about the foolishness of greed, the joy of being true to yourself, the lessons learned when you give over to spirit....It was just so moving. And I know the parents and sibs and visitors were wowed too. The stories were a combo of funny and deep, just everything you want in an olio.

AND the kids are making a documentary. One boy, John Lyden, who is home-schooled, has filmed all year long. Other kids have helped too, and Ritam Mehta got up and explained all about that. Who knows, maybe even without asking, people will look us up and contribute. In time that will all work out. Later this year we have two interfaith conferences lined up that we’re hoping to present at or at least send a few kids to. It’s so exciting!

Photos courtesy of Leo Wong

Recorded stories and live stories

Here are some stories told on WRPI radio earlier this year:


The Angel's Wings told by Adah

Joha and the Pot told by Toma

The Cracked Pot told by Emily

Mondebaba told by Ritam

Ramadan, a personal story told by Khalafalla


You can hear more stories at


Children at the Well --
Interfaith Youth Storytelling

Sunday, December 13th, 2009, 2 pm

First Unitarian Society of Schenectady, 1221 Wendell Ave, Schenectady, NY

All Welcome- Family, Friends, and Community!

To be followed by an interfaith mixer and home-baked goodies

Donations to benefit our youth program

For further information contact Gert Johnson: 374-0637 or GRSJohnson@aol.com

ChildrenAtTheWell.org

CATW: "Global Citizens"!

Complete with fingerprints (probably mine!) here is our sparkling new Global Citizenship Award for Community Outreach that Children at the Well received last night from the International Center of the Capital Region
http://www.iccralbany.org/default.htm.

Khalafalla Osman was on hand to help me accept the award on behalf of all of us. Knowing that dinner was delayed, and being the gentleman that he is, Khalafalla kept his remarks brief. Chaos reigned just a bit because the program was going too long, but Alex Whisenhunt got to tell her story *before* dinner was served. Alex was cool as a cucumber and charmed us with her original tale. Gert Johnson and Mary Murphy were there as well, giving us moral support

(and the occasional "hairy eyeball"! :-).

In his talk, ICCR President Michael Gulotty spoke of a recent visitor with the international leadership program, Mr. Mohammad Mahroof, a London police officer who is active in community organizations and works closely with those that engage at-risk Muslim youth to promote positive behavior and community involvement. By invitation of the International Center, CATW had met with Mr. Mahroof last June. The youth tellers told stories, and then they and parents in attendance had time to answer questions from Mr. Mahroof. Our visitor was so taken with our work that he is now instituting a similar storytelling program in London, for these at-risk students! We were thrilled to hear this- it was news to us!

We were presented with a certificate from Senator Neil Breslin, another honoree in attendance. We were generally celebrated and sought after! Not to mention well fed by the fare from Yono's (Indonesian) Restaurant. The evening was quite an experience for us all, and we hope to build on this success by continuing to make connections with people in our community and internationally, as well, with the help of the International Center.

Letter to tellers from Marni after a great rehearsal with members of the Story Circle of the Capital Region as audience at the Colonie Town Library:

Bravo to you brave storytellers for coming out to strut your stuff before the local story circle. I am bursting with pride.

You are working so hard on your tales, to make your characters clear and unique. You are dealing with EMOTIONS in your tales that will move us, the listeners, to feel our emotions. This is NO SMALL TASK! Thank you for coming out to tell and to learn even more.

After tonight I can feel the emotions in a king who has no heir and wants to find THE right child to come and begin to learn to help him rule.I can feel a shy and discouraged boy AMAZED that HE of all people could be CHOSEN!!!! And perhaps a little in awe of what his simple honesty has brought into his future and even to the future of the people he will rule.

I see a girl who is shy too, but kind, wanting to bring a gift to the Christ Child and amazed that she hears his instructions and witnesses (and hears) a breathtaking sound from the bird she dared to try to heal.

I see a strong and loving teacher affect a boy (who has a little bit of arrogance now that he is top dog in his school). She changes him as does his friendships, those who judge him, and especially his experience of wanting to be a winner, but fearing being a loser. In this end, it is not so much a story of HIM as of pride in his community and the fact that he has represented it well.

I see a young archer brothers wanting to learn, but something gets in their way – except for ONE brother who is both talented, a good student, and perhaps somehow DESTINED to be the greatest archer of his kingdom. And we all come away wanting to FOCUS and CONCENTRATE more in our lives.

And I see a greedy and hardened old rich man transformed first by the hardship of no water and then softened even more by the plight of a poor thristy dog who somehow breaks his hardened heart and teaches him a little generosity.

One woman said as she was leaving – WOW they are so good!!! I have a conflict on 12/13 but I’m going to go try and rearrange my life so I can hear them tell again.
Well done!

OH! And Best of luck, tomorrow night, Khalafalla, as you accept the award for CAW and speak proudly on our behalf. You will be the top of the heap that night. Prep your words, calm your heart, and claim that spotlight as if Sr. Sharifa herself were looking on. And thanks for doing so on behalf of us all.
Marni