This is a copy of the Weekly Email we send to members of Congregation B'nai Tzedek. Please feel free to share:
On NPR a few months ago they ran a story about a magazine
that challenges famous people to write six-word stories about their own
life. They published six-word stories
from people like Gloria Steinam (“Life is one big editorial meeting”) and Molly
Ringwald (“Acting is not all I am”). At
the end of the story they challenged listeners to come up with their own
six-word autobiographies, and over the next few months they would often read
submissions that were of interest (“Oh Dear. I am my mother”), or even that
inspired other NPR stories (“Ask who I am, not what”).
The Torah is characterized by its terseness. Contrasting the Torah’s verbal economy is the
typical rabbi’s loquaciousness (if you hadn’t already noticed). This makes for a great challenge when trying
to tell my own story in only six words.
For now I will go with:
Father, husband, rabbi, seeking CBT’s stories.
That’s my story for now—learning our story. I really want to know who you are as a person
and who we are as a congregation. To
make this happen, I offer you two chances to write a six-word story.
First, send your own autobiography in six words. I look forward to reading these and getting
to know you briefly before we can start connecting on a deeper level.
Second, please send a six-word story about CBT. Think about what it means to you, why you
come here to worship, learn, and/or socialize.
Why do you belong to this community?
This is a contest that comes with a surprise, so please send your
entries in as soon as possible.
Encourage your children to participate.
Tell your friends who might not open emails that they should send in
their entry.
Please send all your entries to me at rabbiyoung@cbtfv.org by Wednesday,
August 7. The top entries will be posted
(without names) in the following week’s Weekly Email, and you will have a
chance to vote on which one you like best.
I am so excited to learn your story, and to begin writing
ours together.
Rabbi David N. Young
