Frequently Asked Questions

 To re-member is “to reassemble the limbs of history.”  [Re]member the World is an ongoing  story project of personal, family and community re-creation  based on the Jewish principle of Tikkun Olam--repairing the world by performing acts of kindness. It is a holy act.

Health. Healing. Wholeness come from the same linguistic root as Holy. This means there's a biological imperative, as well as a spiritual one. Physical health is part of the same activity as remembering. When taken together, they promote integration of body, mind and spirit.

To gather the sparks, let us work to replenish our bodies, hearts and souls by  reintegrating ourselves.

To begin, let us remember, together.

Passing down stories is as ancient as humanity. In fact, even the Bible is nothing more than a series of stories, or sacred myths, that give us guidance on how our ancestors lived, and how we came to be. 

Hebrew scholars and rabbinic leaders have long used stories, known as Midrash (מדרשׁ), to interpret Biblical stories and apply them to their own times. They used them to seek answers to religious  questions (both practical and theological) by plumbing the meaning of  the words of the Torah. 

Sometimes, the stories we tell ourselves may be holding us back: "I'm not good enough." "Our family always struggled, and so do I." "My mother never understood me." "This always happens to me."

Applying idea of Midrash  to interpret those stories by investigating personal and family history through the experiences of the ancestors and to test the truth of them--can allow us to let them go. 

In turn, by better understanding our past history, re-membering is a way to gain greater awareness of how we came to be. Through the act of remembering, we become aware of all the forces that have shaped our stories--as individuals, as families, and as communities. With greater awareness of the past, we can bring to light unhealed injuries that may be holding us back, consciously or unconsciously, to lighten our present and brighten our future.

To tell even one ancestor's story is to begin the act of remembrance in our gathering of the sparks. To reveal even one spark of creation is to shine a greater light on the truth. Through this small act, we hope to inspire others to act in their own way, to start the repair of the world #generational #healing

 Robin Stevens Payes is an author, science writer and time traveler who reasons that time and space are just inconvenient rules that other people decided the world must follow. Her writing frequently offers deep dives into the offbeat, where prose and verse may fill a void through acts of creation and remembrance.