Advance registration maxxed-out for the Reclaiming Judaism Press Manhattan book release of Mitzvah Stories: Seeds for Inspiration and Learning. This juried book of brand new adult-level Jewish stories was presented in honor of Peninnah Schram at the Israel Folk Tales Festival, also created in her honor, by Yeshiva University's Center for Israel Studies. Noa Baum, Barry Bub, Ellen Frankel, Goldie Milgram, Cherie Karo Schwartz, Jennifer Rudick-Zunikoff and Laura Simms came to the stage to tell Israel stories in Peninnah's honor. 

Professor Schram is a world-renowned storyteller and beloved mentor and colleague to Jewish storytellers from across the entire spectrum of Jewish practice.Professor Dan Ben Amos of the University of Pennsylvania and Rabbi Saul Berman offered scholarly keynote speeches on Jewish storytelling and mitzvot to complement the occasion. Dr. Steven Fine headed up the event and spoke powerfully about Peninnah's role in the world and the university. Goldie Milgram, Editor-in-Chief of Reclaiming Judaism Press presented the 350 page, juried volume created by sixty leading storytellers, authors and rabbis. 

The bandwidth of respect within the Jewish people for Peninnah Schram, herself author of numerous collections of Jewish stories, made it possible for 60 leading storytellers, authors and rabbis to manifest within Mitzvah Stories as what Arthur Kurzweil, author of From Generation to Generation has called: "A rare, precious and inspiring opportunity for many ways into learning and living a meaningful Jewish life." Mitzvah Stories: Seeds for Inspiration and Learning was edited by Goldie Milgram and Ellen Frankel with the advisory team of Peninnah Schram, Cherie Karo Schwartz and Arthur Strimling.  

View a list of the sixty distinguished contributing Mitzvah Stories authors. Note: Over the next few weeks more videos from this event will be edited and posted here. By subscribing to the blog you will be automatically notified of new footage posted.