Tracing Our Roots: Stories for Our Children 

Pamela Solomon, Parent Engagement Coordinator 

Some of the best ideas begin with a simple conversation. 

When Emily Stern, Chief Program Officer at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC, toured the newly renovated Jewish Museum of Maryland, including its incredible new podcast studio, she came back inspired. She imagined creating an experience for J Parent families that would invite parents to explore their own Jewish ancestry and traditions while discovering meaningful stories to pass along to their children. 

After all, that’s what J Parent is all about: inspiring parents of young children to explore and deepen their own Jewish journey as they raise the next generation. 

Emily and I reached out to Zoë Reznick Gewanter, Director of Public Programs at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, to share the idea. She immediately embraced it, and before long, Tracing Our Roots: Stories for Our Children was born. 

Together, we recruited five incredible families to embark on this unique five-session journey. Over several months, they uncovered pieces of their family histories, explored their Jewish roots, and ultimately crafted one meaningful story to preserve and share with their children. Along the way, they shared delicious meals, built genuine friendships, and found comfort in a community of parents navigating the same beautiful, and sometimes messy, journey of raising the next Jewish generation. 

Our first session took place at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, where the cohort enjoyed a private tour followed by a reception. Rabbi Dena Shaffer opened the program by speaking about the power of storytelling and the Jewish value of L’dor V’dor – passing traditions, values, and stories from one generation to the next. 

She also shared fascinating research from Emory University showing that children who know their family’s stories – where they came from, the challenges their families have overcome, and the traditions that have been passed down – develop a stronger sense of identity, confidence, and resilience. Understanding that they are part of something bigger than themselves helps children feel grounded and better prepared to navigate life’s ups and downs. It was the perfect reminder that preserving family stories isn’t just about honoring the past, it’s about helping shape the future. 

The next two sessions featured Rabbi Scott Kalmikoff, a professional genealogist with more than 20 years of experience researching family histories. Rabbi Scott introduced the cohort to genealogy research, shared practical tools and resources, and helped each family begin uncovering branches of their family tree. Watching participants discover long-forgotten stories, connect with distant relatives, and piece together their histories was nothing short of amazing. 

By our fourth session, families had gathered so many stories and memories that it was time to shape them into something lasting. Rabbi Dena returned to guide each couple in crafting a story that wasn’t simply a collection of names and dates, but a meaningful narrative their children could one day treasure. 

Our final session brought us back to the Jewish Museum of Maryland, and to the podcast studio where the idea first began. 

One by one, each couple stepped behind the microphone to record their family story. While they recorded, the rest of us listened together. There was laughter, there were tears, and there were so many moments of awe as families shared what they had uncovered through research, conversations with grandparents and relatives, and their own reflections. It was impossible not to imagine their children, and someday even their grandchildren, listening to these recordings and feeling connected to the generations that came before them. 

We closed the evening with a celebration and presented each family with a beautiful keepsake to commemorate the experience. What started as an idea sparked during a museum tour became something far more meaningful than any of us imagined: a journey of discovery, connection, and legacy. 

Programs come and go, but this one felt different. It reminded all of us that every family has stories worth telling, and that by sharing them, we give our children something invaluable -a stronger sense of identity, belonging, and pride in where they come from. 

That is the true meaning of L’dor V’dor.