Saratoga Jewish Community Arts Presents the 12th Annual Matthew M. Neugroschel Evening of Jewish Storytelling
Saratoga Jewish Community Arts presents its twelfth annual Matthew M. Neugroschel Jewish Storytelling Program, with a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York and the sponsorship of Temple Sinai of Saratoga Springs, on Tuesday, February 10 at 7 pm at Temple Sinai in Saratoga Springs and on Zoom.
A Beloved Tradition
Remember the little song when you were a child: Tell me a story, tell me a story, tell me a story, and then I’ll go to bed. You promised me, you said you would, you got to give in, ‘cause I’ve been good. Tell me a story, then I’ll go to bed. Here’s your chance to re-live that feeling! Everyone loves a story, not just the little children but rather children of all ages.
For the Jewish people, storytelling has been a means of defining the Jewish identity, their ethnic distinctiveness as Jews. In fact, almost every culture has storytelling in its long-ago history. It was the way, long before books were available, that custom, culture, and morality passed from one generation to the next. Listening to stories connects us to our history, to each other, to deeper parts of ourselves, and to the vast possibilities that life can hold.
Today, with readily available books, movies, podcasts and other media, storytelling is still a popular genre. Storytelling events are popular throughout the country and are geared to every age group, from the incredibly young to the most senior, in person and online.
Annually, Saratoga Jewish Community Arts brings together a group of talented storytellers who make us smile and touch our hearts. There is a captivating gift for storytelling. It is an enthusiastic interpretation of a tale so that the listeners are transported through time and to places they have never been. The love for storytelling is what storytellers have in common.
This year’s storytellers include some long-time favorites, including Sylvia Bloom, Beth Sabo Novik, Sandy Schuman, Rabbi Ilana Symons, and Martina Zobel, as well as some new voices.
Remembering Matthew M. Neugroschel
SJCA’s popular Annual Storytelling program was renamed in 2021 in memory of Matthew M. Neugroschel, a frequent contributor to Saratoga Jewish Community Arts and the Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival, and a remarkable storyteller, whose life was cut short in 2020 at the age of 49.
“Matthew was knowledgeable in so many areas,” says Phyllis Wang, Coordinator of SJCA. “Even today, I will be working on a project and say almost out loud, ‘Let me call Matthew and talk to him about this.’ However, it cannot be, as sadly, he departed from life almost six years ago.”
Matthew loved to try new things and was a long-time follower of the SJCA Storytelling program. In 2020, already quite ill, Matthew nonetheless committed to trying his hand in our annual, staged storytelling program. He had been working on a story that came from his dad’s childhood in the Bronx, and he passionately wanted to present it. He chose a Bronx version of A Golem’s Tale.
Matthew was unsteady on his feet, so in place of a cane, he brought an old-fashioned walking stick, adding to the imagery of his narration. His tale was witty, thoughtful, and extraordinarily well received. Audience members who grew up in the Bronx were thrilled with the fond memories of locations, street names, and substance; experienced storytellers embraced their new fellow bard. “The offering of this story was very important to Matthew,” says Wang. “It was a way to honor his father, whom he had tried to protect from his failing health.”
Matthew held degrees in literature, fine art and law, and concentrated on the American Civil Rights Movement. He worked in the fields of Domestic Violence Advocacy and Family Law. He principally taught at SUNY Albany in the fields of American History and American Studies, and instructed in such fields as culture and diversity, literature, art, law and business.
We are pleased to announce that SJCA has published Matthew’s story in a hard-covered edition called The Golem of Davidson Avenue. The book will be for sale at our Annual Storytelling event on Feb. 10.
Join us on February 10. Doors will open at 6:30 pm for a dessert reception, followed by the evening’s selection of stories to fill the heart and soul. Zoom access will also be available.
A $10 donation per person is requested at the door, or by mail to Temple Sinai, 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Pre-registration is required. Click the URL address below or enter it in your browser: