On the evening of August 8, the Adath Israel Sisterhood hosted their quarterly “Story Slam” for the women of the Hillside/Elizabeth community. A handful of volunteers shared funny, humbling and vulnerable stories about a range of experiences that connected everyone through their shared humanity. Through smiles, laughter and nods, the audience was mesmerized only minutes after gabbing over hot pretzels and fresh popcorn.

A unifying event, the women left touched and tearful and with more compassion for one another. One attendee described it: “The Story Slam was a memorable experience for me. With this being my first Sisterhood event, I was pleasantly welcomed with both old and new faces in the community. It was refreshing to see my new friends in a casual atmosphere, learning about different sides of them, through their stories, that I otherwise wouldn’t have learned. The warmth that I received was truly special.”

By Rivka Savitt