A DIY Kit for Six-Word Memoirs on Jewish Life

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a six-word story and came up with, “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Inspired by Hemingway’s short, short story, SMITH Magazine, launched online in 2006, challenged readers and famous writers alike to submit the short stories of their lives, calling it the Six-Word Memoir®. Six years and more than half a million Six-Word Memoirs later on SMITHmag.net and SMITHTeens.com, this simple form of expression has become the starting point for larger discussions. That's exactly what we hope will happen with this latest foray in the six-word journey, Six-Word Memoirs on Jewish Life. This book contains 360 Six-Word Memoirs that offer personal windows into the wild, weird and wonderfully complex world of Judaism today. We hope this book starts many conversations about the meaning of Jewish life among Jews and non-Jews alike, in synagogues and community centers, among both the most observant and most secular. What follows are ideas that we hope will spur you, your friends, family or colleagues to talk about Jewish life. These activities are intended for both intimate settings such as dinner parties and among larger groups and audiences as well. Of course, this kit is simply a start. We hope you’ll share your ideas for engaging others in Six-Word Memoirs, and also let us know what happened at your events. Email both larry@smithmag.net and dina@rebooters.net with a report from your community. 1. Host a Six-Word Slam Gather around the table and have an informal six-word challenge or “slam.” Think of Six-Word Memoirs that reflect your own Jewish lives—from the obvious to the unexpected, from the silly to the profound—and share them throughout the evening. You might choose to challenge friends, your congregation or book club using a single theme. A few ideas for this include:

• “Thorns and Roses,” the best and worst parts of your week depicted in six words.

• At a dinner party, at each course have guests create a Six-Word Memoir based on the previous course or conversation.

• Pick a random theme for the night, like Seinfeld or summer camp, and create Six-Word Memoirs based on that topic.  

2. I’ll give you a topic…Jewish texts. Discuss. Jews are often described as the “People of the Book.” No wonder so many of the Six-Word Memoir writers refer to books in their memoirs.

• Joseph Telushkin (p. 90) says “Books change lives. They’ve changed mine.” Do you think books have this power? If so, what books have changed your life?

• Jonathan Safran Foer (p. 77) says the Haggadah is the most radical book there is. Do you agree or disagree? Can you think of a more radical book?

• Many of the memoirs refer to the Torah. Why would Rabbi Seth Adelson (p. 31) quote Leviticus for his memoir? What do you take away from his quotation? Is there any line from a text that you would use for your own Six-Word Memoir?

• One of the most famous six-word texts in the Torah is the Shema (p. 69,) the fundamental declaration of Jewish faith. What do the words recall to you? Why do you think it is important?

• Devorah Spilman (p. 12) says that the Torah’s story is her own. Are there any stories in the Torah that relate to your life? What lessons can we learn from these stories?

• As an extra challenge, can you create a Six-Word Memoir based around stories from the Hebrew Bible? If you are feeling adventurous, plan a trivia game where you divide into groups and have teams guess what story your six-word memoir is referring to. Examples:

Ten plagues. Moses saves the day (Exodus) World created in six days. Rest. (Creation of the world) Flooded land. Big boat. Humanity saved. (Noah’s Ark) Colorful coat makes brothers hate him. (Joseph)

Further Resources: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts.shtml http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Torah/Portion_by_Portion.shtml 3. Six-Word Guessing Games Using the glossary, play Pictionary, Charades or Taboo. Pick a word from the Six-Word Memoirs of Jewish Life glossary and then have your friends figure out what you have drawn, acted out or described without using the word given. Examples:

Treif - Yiddish word for non-kosher

Davening - Praying, often in a swaying or back-and-forth rocking motion 4. I’ll give you a topic…Celebrations. Discuss. Whether a Bat Mitzvah, Bar Mitzvah, Bris or wedding, communal and familial celebrations are fixtures in Jewish life. In Six-Word Memoirs of Jewish Life, there are many references to the writers’ Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. What do you take away from their experiences? How do their experiences compare to your memories? Deborah Lipstadt (p. 50) talks about the need to celebrate. What do celebrations look like in your life? How can you add more celebration to your life? Gillian Zoe Segal (p. 73) and David Katznelson (p. 100) both reference dancing. How much is dancing part of your celebrations? If so, what dances and to what songs? 5. Roll the Die Did you ever notice that a die has six sides? We did. In this game, each side corresponds to a word in a memoir. One is the first word, two is the second word, etc. Choose a memoir, and then roll the die. Wherever it lands, pick the corresponding word and then make your own memoir using that word. Challenge everyone in your group to follow suit with the same memoir. If you are feeling competitive, have everyone vote on whose memoir was the best. Examples: Page 23: “Jew by choice finds her voice.” – Gwen Wexler

It’s all a choice, my choice.

The communal voice is too loud. Pg. 50: “God is in the small details.” – Shanni Profesorsky

“Details, schm-etails” says my Catholic mother.

God is the wizard pulling strings. 6. I’ll give you a topic…Food. Discuss. Food is a major theme in the memoirs. Which food-related memoirs speak to your stomach? Can you put together a menu of your Jewish foods? How would you categorize these foods? On page 68, Gail Ghezzi declares that her Uncle Saul needs seltzer at ever meal. What do you have at every meal? Do you have an Uncle Saul-type in your family? On page 76, Carol Smith says chicken soup stirs memories. What foods stir your memories? What do they remind you of? Can you suggest a dish that can be shared in just six words or perhaps with just six steps in the recipe?

Additional Information Please visit http://www.smithmag.net/jewish/ to purchase your copy of Six-Word Memoirs of Jewish Life and to download a Teacher’s Guide.