Jews are inveterate storytellers. In an effort to make sense of our lives, to communicate with one another across vast expanses of time, and to articulate core aspects of Jewish being, we tell stories constantly. And Jewish storytelling--the work of midrash--is not merely descriptive; it is also generative. We tell stories not only to document the world as it goes by, but also to create new worlds, to open portals into novel ways of seeing and imagining. In this session we'll explore storytelling as Jewish endeavor, paying special attention to how Jewish writers have used imaginary worlds to illuminate Jewish experience.

Benjamin Resnick is a novelist and rabbi, who currently serves as the rabbi of the Pelham Jewish Center in New York. He has written about Judaism for multiple publications, including The Forward, The Washington Post, Tablet, Modern Judaism and My Jewish Learning. His first novel, "Next Stop," was published in 2024.

Benjamin is married to journalist Philissa Cramer, who is currently editor-in-chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. They have two boys, Jonah and Gabriel.