Joy and wonder rippled through the audience as children and educators from 11 Jewish early childhood programs in JUF’s Jewish Early Childhood Collaborative experienced The Birthday of the World, an immersive performance created and directed by award-winning educator and theater artist Jonathan Shmidt Chapman.
“It was thrilling to bring this type of experience into Jewish early childhood settings,” said Shmidt Chapman. “Transforming a familiar space into a container for magic, discovery, and wonder for the children.”
Inspired by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen’s book of the same name, the play tells a heartwarming story about the creation of the world and the role each of us plays in spreading light and kindness. Through interactive, multisensory storytelling, children were invited to touch clouds, become the ocean, catch butterflies, water the earth, and discover and spread their own spark of light.
“By inviting participants to be part of the experience, children feel as though the story is happening to them,” Shmidt Chapman explained. “They build a personal and lasting connection with the play and its message.”
Commissioned by the Alliance Theatre’s Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young, The Birthday of the World featured sensory storytelling techniques that educators in JUF’s Artist-Educator Fellowship–an innovative cohort of professionals in Jewish early childhood and supplemental education–are learning from Shmidt Chapman and applying to their classroom practices.
“After the performance, many teachers said the sensory invitations felt like a lightbulb moment,” said Jess Bokor, Assistant Director at JCC Chicago at Beth Emet in Evanston and mentor in the Fellowship. “It showed how easily a story can come to life in an approachable way.”
Experiences like The Birthday of the World, paired with professional learning opportunities like JUF’s Artist-Educator Fellowship, are transforming how young learners spark creativity and imagination, build meaningful connections, and experience the beauty of Judaism.
Ilana Dvorin Friedman, Ph.D., is JUF’s Director of Early Childhood Advocacy and Strategy.
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