Holiday Stories

A large family gathered at the table for a holiday meal.
Courtesy of Steinfeldt Photography Collection of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest

Telling and listening to stories creates a powerful connection. Take some time to create meaning during the holiday by using the following conversation prompts with family and friends:

Your Passover Story

  1. Describe a moment of liberation in your life.
  2. Describe a time in your life when you took a risk. What did you learn from this experience?
  3. When you reflect on the women actors in the Passover story—from Shifrah and Puah, the midwives who saved Hebrew firstborn from being killed; to Yocheved, the mother of Moses; to Miriam, who helped lead the Israelites out of Egypt—what kind of leadership style or action do you most relate to?
  4. What role(s) do women play in your family story?

Feast on Stories this Thanksgiving

  1. What are you thankful for this year?
  2. Do you/does your family have any special Thanksgiving rituals?
  3. If you could invite any Jewish woman to your Thanksgiving meal, who would it be and why?
  4. What is your/your family's immigration story?

JWA is committed to collecting and preserving the stories of Jewish women, known and unknown. If you’d like to add a story to our growing collection, complete this online form.

This initiative is part of Story Aperture, a new project of the Jewish Women’s Archive, that enables people of all ages to collect and share the untold and underrepresented stories of Jewish women through mobile technology.

Other Holiday Conversation Prompts:

Make Rosh Hashanah Sweet

  1. As you review the past year, what are you most proud of? What do you wish you did differently?
  2. Did you speak out or act daring this year? If so, in what ways, and how did you feel about it?
  3. What are your hopes for the coming year—for yourself, your community, or the world?
  4. What is your favorite Rosh Hashanah memory or tradition?

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Holiday Stories." (Viewed on May 10, 2024) <http://jwa.org/stories/holiday/fourquestions>.