Advertising Supplement

Janice Kamenir-Reznik doesn’t tend to get nervous before a speaking engagement, but her Sept. 12 address to worshippers at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary’s Kever Avot service has her feeling a bit anxious.

When my friend and I couldn’t get a table at Junior’s, we sat at the counter. Of course sitting at the counter means having lunch with the stranger next to you.

Energy poured from the woman with flowing brown hair and a giant smile as she took the stage during the National Storytelling Conference, held this year at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, July 29-Aug. 1.

Elie Wiesel often recounts the tale of Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sasov, who needed a miracle. His predecessors had gone to a particular spot in the forest, lit a special candle, said a certain blessing and were able to evoke a miracle. Throughout the generations, much had been lost. Now the poor rabbi no longer knew where in the forest one should pray, no longer possessed the special candle, did not even know the secret blessing. What he knew was the story. Dear God, he prayed, the story must be sufficient. And it was.