I believe that we all carry stories, and sometimes, those stories carry us.
Hi, I'm Dena Schusterman—author, educator, speaker, mother of eight, grandmother, and lifelong collector of stories.
For more than twenty years, I have been building Jewish community and nurturing young families in Atlanta, including co-founding Chabad Intown and serving as Executive Director of Intown Jewish Preschool. Along the way, I’ve learned that stories are more than memories. They are how we make sense of our lives, pass wisdom between generations, and find our way through uncertainty.
Writing is how I process the world. What began on this website as a place to share my latest musings and explore the spirituality hidden within ordinary life eventually blossomed into writing my debut memoir, Stories Carry.
The book began as an attempt to preserve my parents’ remarkable story—young Chabad emissaries navigating the counterculture of 1970s Berkeley. But as I traced their journey, I found myself wrestling with my own questions about faith, belonging, and identity.
At the heart of everything I write is the Jewish imperative of V'higadeta l'vincha—to tell our stories to the next generation. My father taught me that stories are how we carry our values forward. Stories Carry is my attempt to honor that inheritance.
Whether you've come here because you've read my memoir, stumbled across an essay, attended one of my classes, or are looking for a speaker for your community, I am so glad you are here.
Welcome.