Applause for Susan

Your energy, your wisdom, your creativity, and your ability to draw us into the riches of other cultures was amazing.   My students were thrilled with your visit – and want you to come back! (Me too!)
Dr. Elna Solvang, Chair, Dept of Religion, Concordia College

Your program at our Sukkot dinner was wonderful … You have a way of involving all ages in your storytelling. I always learn something from watching you perform.
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis IN

Susan Stone was amazing. She held a theatre full of pre-k to grade 3 students spellbound as she told stories that required the students to move and sing for over an hour.  The students loved the performance.  We would invite Susan back.
Bonnie McComb, Teacher-Librarian, American School of Warsaw, Poland

It was so good to attend your workshop on Monday morning for the docents and greeters at Cantigny Park.  I know everyone enjoyed it and we all learned a great deal from your presentation.  There is always room for improvement in our storytelling and your tips and ideas gave us a lot to think about (and rehearse).  I so much appreciate your well-structured handout filled with solid content.  It was a morning well spent!
Georgean…docent at First Division Museum  (2019)

I  loved your work and your stories offered open doors to inquiry.  What more can we hope to do?  You were alive and responsive and very skilled in your tellings, and hope you felt  the resonance within the audience.
Judith Black, Storyteller/Coach

 Just have to let you know how fabulous your show was yesterday!  As usual, you transform your audience into another time and place, bringing a smile (or a tear) to everyone’s face.  My mom, not only understood the stories, but enjoyed the show immensely!  She had a fabulous afternoon…and so did  I.
Self appointed fan club president  …. – Elaine, YIVO concert

Delightful and heartwarming. You will never know how much joy and comfort to bring to so many. Take pride in the fact that all of your hard work to be the storyteller you are is so worth it. It is a vital part of who you are since you have so much love and warmth to express. Kudos – loved it and the music was a great addition.
–Karen, YIVO concert

Before any further time passes, I wanted to extend my biggest heartfelt thank you for all you did to make our 2018 Docent Summer Learning Series the best to-date!  Your knowledge, warmth, humor, and power of presence was incredible!  There were  many great connections throughout the 4 hours, and many, many “ah-ah” moments.  I am still hearing your fellow family members talk about the training and how much they loved it!  Let’s talk about Part 2 soon!   Thank you.
Kelley Szany, Vice President, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center   

Thank you, Susan. You made our Sukkot celebrations so meaningful, both for the children and the teachers. You teach a beautiful and deep Torah and it is the sort of Torah that we don’t hear enough. I so appreciate your energy and enthusiasm over an entire day in the sukkah with children and for our evening event the next day. You were wonderful, and I look forward to working together again in the future.
Betsy Forester, Director of Jewish Life and Learning, Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago

Thank you….You are such a wonderful storyteller.  All our students continued to talk about the stories as they went back to class.  You kept our students in rapt attention, and  were able to engage all ages at once,  bringing our tradition of legends, stories and folklore to life!
Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld, Beth Chaverim Humanistic Jewish Community
You were terrific!! ….I will recommend you…

Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky, Associate Rabbi, Congregation Etz Haim, Lombard, IL

Really, Susan, you were just wonderful today as a storyteller at SXU! Thank you so much for coming. The class LOVED every minute of your presentation! I have been involved in Renaissance for the past 4 years and never saw a class give a speaker such rapt attention. The quality of your stories and your delivery were so engaging…
Mary Hendry, Renaissance Academy Facilitator, Saint Xavier University (Chicago)

That was the most fun and useful storytelling workshop I’ve ever been to…and I’ve been to a lot!
Kathleen Lund, storyteller, Salt Lake City Public Library storytelling workshop

My husband and I saw Susan’s performance first time at Salt Lake City Jewish community who had invited her to tell great Jewish stories right after the Shabbat service. What can I say… It was amazing! And when I saw Susan’s performance, for all that moments, I just forgot that I was in this World. I really had travelled to the My-Grandma-World…. Awesome feeling… And I hope to feel it again really soon! Thank you Susan!
Nadia Lipes, owner of a Ukrainian Genealogy Research company

I loved your stories. They were very interesting and it was a pleasure to be there with you. And I know that kids also could understand them and like them a lot…and their parents had fun too. But it was not just a silly entertainment but a wise and witty event.
Konrad Dworakowski, Managing and Artistic Director, Teatr Pinokio Lodz, Poland

We brought Susan into our community as the entertainment at our community wide fundraising event. She is an amazing storyteller. She was engaging, funny, warm, charming and delightful to have in our community. Her stories were just perfect and left everyone wanting to hear more. I highly recommend Susan and will bring her back for more engagements when I can.
Debra Barton Grant, Executive Vice President,
Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley, South Bend, IN

If you’re looking for a storyteller who will enrich the lives of your congregation, organization or group, look no further. Susan Stone is one of the most gifted storytellers I know.  Her stories — whether culled from the pages of Jewish tradition or from her own life–will touch your heart and inspire you.
Rabbi Jacob Herber, Congregation Beth Israel, Milwaukee, WI

…thank you for your wonderful presentation….You not only captured the feeling and sense of the book you brought this understanding to our audience with  a high level of professionalism.
Beth Schenker, Director of Programming, Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies

Thanks a million …. It was a blessing to have you be part of both the Shabbat evening and the Family Arts Day.  It was evident by everyone’s faces how much they were enjoying your stories.
Sue Powell, Gallery Director, Decatur Area Arts Council

Susan is an award-winning storyteller and educator whose warmth and humor is combined with deep insight into life’s quirks and mysteries…”
Jim May, Storyteller and Founder of the Illinois Storytelling Festival

Thank you again for the wonderful stories you shared with our kids…. You were so very engaging, and they all really enjoyed it. What a wonderful way for them to learn about the morals and teachings of Judaism.
Sharon Appelquist, Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago

I saw the youth emerge from their defensive shells to express themselves in new ways and build a new trust amongst themselves. I believe your workshop contributed to empathy building…for the Oneida youth. (theatre games workshop for Teen Dating Violence Prevention Conference)
Beverly Scow,  Ass’t Director, Wise Women Gathering Place, Green Bay, WI

Susan Stone combines a remarkable talent for storytelling with a unique understanding of the audience, setting, and moments in which she shares her stories. Rather than telling stories to people, she invites them into the story with her.”
Rabbi Richard Hirsh, Former Executive Director, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

It was such a joy to meet you as the ‘artist-in-residence’ at the Temple Chai Women’s Retreat. Your storytelling of ancient wisdom tales was exciting, compelling and beautifully told. …What a true gift you have to share with others, Susan!
Deborah Wiss, Co-director (former), Shalom Center for Healing, Phoenix AZ

Susan Stone provided us with an evening that was equally entertaining and spiritually uplifting. Sharing stories with us for Selichot, as she did, prepared us well for the upcoming period of reflection and introspection. She came to us more than well-prepared; she came to us ready to share the joy, wisdom and insight of her stories.
Rabbi Marc J. Belgrad, Congregation Beth Am, Wheeling, IL