Orot Israel College Hosts Storytelling Workshop

Nati Fried 
Dean of Students, Orot Israel College, Rechovot Campus

Throughout the ages, educators have recognized the power of a story. Indeed, storytelling can serve as an ideal solution to a litany of educational and pedagogical challenges, and talented teachers can transform even the most mundane tale into an exciting, suspenseful narrative, which keeps an entire classroom of students riveted to their seats.

However, many teachers are reluctant to try their hands at storytelling. They are afraid they will “ruin” the story because they feel that they do not have adequate acting skills. Thus, on Chanukah, Orot Israel College invited Rav Naftali Fuchs, director of the religious Nedudim Theater Company and a popular educator, to our Rechovot campus.

A graduate of Yeshivat Ateret Kohanim and Orot Israel College, Rav Naftali believes that stories have great educational value and can be used to achieve numerous classroom objectives, such as understanding the material, generating interest in the lesson, handling disciplinary problems, fostering a love of Torah and the mitzvot, and more. In recent years, he has been leading workshops to train teachers in the art of storytelling.

During the course of the fascinating workshop – fittingly entitled “Storytelling and the Power of the Story” - Rav Naftali demonstrated how to tell a story, where to get stories, and how to tailor a story for a young audience. The workshop proved to be a resounding success, and the audience – which largely consisted of teaching interns - walked away with a new appreciation for this classic educational tool.