After a week filled with laughter, stories, and connection, Corey Rosen’s residency in Tidewater concluded—but the stories he helped surface will continue to resonate.
Presented by the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater as part of the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival and made possible through a generous grant from the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, Rosen’s return to Tidewater was extraordinary.
Throughout the week, Rosen worked with a wide range of Jewish communal professionals, lay leaders, educators, teens, and nonprofit partners. His workshop with UJFT staff was described as both energizing and meaningful, offering practical tools for communicating mission and impact through authentic storytelling. Similar enthusiasm followed his work with Jewish Family Service’s board, Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s board and Life & Legacy teams, the Holocaust Commission, and Hebrew Ladies Charity Society. Each group found new ways to articulate their purpose, history, and vision through personal narrative.
Jewish educators from across Tidewater leaned in, quite literally, during Rosen’s session on storytelling in educational settings. Participants reported being “on the edge of their seats” as they explored how stories can spark curiosity, deepen engagement, and create lasting learning experiences in classrooms and beyond.
Rosen’s impact also extended beyond the Jewish community. He collaborated with Tidewater nonprofits including ForKids, Virginia MOCA, and the Virginia Arts Alliance, demonstrating how storytelling can build empathy, strengthen organizational culture, and inspire action across diverse sectors.
The residency culminated in a Community Storytelling Night, hosted by Corey Rosen and featuring local storytellers Stephanie Calliott, Bruce Longman, Henry Scolnick, Elyse Cardon, Jaime Brathwaite, and Rick Krupnick. Nearly 200 people filled the room, bearing witness to stories that were funny, moving, vulnerable, and deeply human.
“We all have stories—some we share—some we don’t, but it’s not every day we get to share one in front of an audience with bright lights and no notes,” says Cardon. “It was really special to share the story of how David and I connected and have my mom in the audience because she was at the heart of the story. I also chose that story for the nostalgia—talking about the old Hebrew Academy on Thompkins Lane and the old Coyote Cafe. I was honored to be asked and to stand on stage with the other storytellers. I loved how that event brought our community together in every way.”
By the week’s end, hundreds of people across generations and professions had been reminded of a simple truth: everyone has a story worth telling. Corey Rosen’s residency didn’t just teach storytelling, it reaffirmed the power of story as a tool for meaning, memory, and belonging.
To learn more about events and classes offered by the Konikoff Center for Learning, visit JewishVA.org/KCL or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@ujft.org.
Stephanie Calliott, Rick Krupnick, Henry Scolnick, Elyse Cardon, Jaime Brathwaite, Dr. Bruce Longman, and Corey Rosen.
