The Fig Tree

By Glenn J Hill

"The Fig Tree: Timeless Jewish Tales of Wisdom and Wonder"

 

A collection of Original and retold traditional Jewish stories 

 

Step into a world where the threads of tradition and magic intertwine, as The Fig Tree transports you through enchanting realms of old Spain, modern-day Malibu, and ancient Middle Eastern landscapes. This mesmerizing collection, skillfully crafted by Certified Jewish Storyteller Glenn J. Hill, Yosef ben Israel, unveils a luminous tapestry of original and retold Jewish stories that will captivate your heart and soul.

 

Discover the captivating essence of each tale:

 

In the Shadows of an Ancient Fig Tree: Amidst the sun-drenched landscapes of old Spain, a magical fig tree holds the forgotten memories of time, beckoning readers into a realm of wonder and awe.

 

A Surfer's Quest for Purpose: Venture to the sun-kissed shores of Malibu, where a rudderless young surfer seeks meaning and direction, guided by wisdom passed down through generations.

 

Unraveling the Carnage of 2008: Witness the unfolding drama of a young Jewish wife and mother caught in the throes of the 2008 housing crash, as she navigates through trials that will test her resilience and faith.

 

The Donkey's Redemption: Embark on a journey to the ancient Middle East, where a humble donkey becomes the savior of an entire community, proving that courage can arise from the most unexpected places.

 

Certified Jewish Storyteller Glenn J. Hill, Yosef ben Israel, skillfully weaves this radiant net of stories, spanning time and space, to reveal secrets both profound and simple. From the hidden wisdom of the best investments to the transformative power of a heartfelt prayer, each tale contains timeless lessons that will stir your spirit.

 

Explore the meaning of hope, resilience, and the pursuit of purpose as you unravel the layers of these heartwarming and thought-provoking narratives. "The Fig Tree" beckons you to cherish the importance of life's essential ingredients and to grasp the significance of moments that shape destinies.

 

Through these original and retold Jewish folktales, Glenn J. Hill invites you to explore the richness of Jewish tradition and the enduring power of storytelling. As you journey through the pages, you'll discover the wisdom that lies within age-old tales and the inspiration that can be drawn from their timeless messages.

 

Open your heart to the magic of "The Fig Tree," and let these radiant tales touch your soul, leaving you with a renewed sense of wonder and a deeper connection to the eternal wisdom of the ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mountain Glen Publishing
• Release date: Jun 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393687054

Glenn J Hill

I started writing some years ago, when I was studying to become a Certified Jewish Storyteller. At the time I began writing my own original stories to tell to live audiences, along with my own versions of traditional tales. I had not known my Mother was Jewish when I was younger. I only found out in the last twenty years that she was from a hidden Jewish family who at pain of death, had to flee from persecution and the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal in the 1400`s, 1500`s and 1600`s. And from Russia in abt 1700.   Some of my ancestral Jewish family in Venice claimed to be descended from King David, though there is no sure proof of this. In the 1500`s and later they were court musicians and instrument builders in the Courts of Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth, where the family continued to play music for the Royal Court and the Globe Theater in London. Eventually their descendants settled in the American colonies, as early as 1609. I draw upon this once hidden ancestry and my stringed instrument building experiences in my writing. I am a trained classical Italian violin builder, and harp builder, designing, building and carving custom one-of-a-kind harps for forty-one years now. My creative endeavors over the years include having danced ballet and modern dance with local dance companies, as well as acting, dancing and singing in semi-professional musical and dramatic theater productions. . I live and write in Southwest Oregon, with my beautiful wife Laurie, and our two sweet girl dogs, Princess Jasmine, a Shih-tzu, and Bella, a Lhasa Apso. This book of stories was partially inspired by past life recalls I have had, as well as a near-death experience I experienced on Yom Kippur, before I found out I was Jewish by birth. Follow your Bliss and Live your Life in Joy. Glenn J. Hill [e-mail] www.glennhillauthor.com/ Facebook: Glenn J Hill Author Mountain Glen Publishing  Phoenix OR

Book preview

Copyright 2020 Glenn J. Hill  All rights reserved for original material.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced in any form or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author and publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Some parts of the stories that are drawn from traditional sources, such as well-known lines and sayings, may also exist in public domain form. These traditional lines and sayings are not considered copyrightable and are not claimed as such by the author and publisher.

However, the complete retelling, resetting, and expanding of these traditional stories as a whole, is original copyrighted material. The original stories in this book, written by the author are also copyrighted.

FIRST PRINTING, 2020

Mountain Glen Publishing

809 W 1st Street

Phoenix Oregon 97535

[e-mail]

THIS IS A COLLECTION of new original Jewish Folktales and modern retellings based on traditional stories that have been passed down by generations of tellers.

The stories here that have traditional roots have been adapted, expanded, and retold into new original versions. Some have been retold with modern settings.

Introduction

Growing up as a young child, I had not a clue that my Mother was Jewish by birth.

My parents were apparently aware of this background, but they never told me. I believe that they never said anything to protect myself and my brother from discrimination and to help our lives to be more uncomplicated and straightforward.

When starting in 1999, I had a series of unusual experiences that suggested I was maybe Jewish by birth, and I began to search for clues about my family ancestry.

AFTER RESEARCHING VARIOUS places, mostly online, I began to discover my roots and my mother's hidden heritage. I got lucky at one point and stumbled across an extensive family tree that had already been researched and verified, which included my Mother's Grandmother.

I found that my mother was descended from an unbroken line of hidden Converso Jewish mothers, going back seven generations to the 1600s in the early Virginia Colony. Additional families came to my attention that I was eventually able to trace back to Sephardic Jewish families who fled mid-fourteen century Spain to relative safety in Venice, Italy, and then on to the Court of Henry VIII in London.

Eventually, after tracing over sixteen thousand ancestors, I was able to prove to three rabbis in a Beit Din that I was a 'returned' Jew by birth and was recognized formally as such.

MY JOURNEY HAS BEEN an exciting one, learning so much about my family and my ancestral people.

So, I invite you to journey with me through these stories. Some are entirely original Jewish Folktales I have written. Other stories are drawn from traditional sources that I have adapted, expanded, reset, and retold into original versions. And one final true story of my own, the experience of my dying at sunset of Yom Kippur before I knew I was born Jewish.

The Fig Tree

Many years ago, I heard about and signed up for a two-year-long Jewish storytelling course that my Rabbi's wife, Deborah Zaslow, was going to teach. Before the program started, I went on a retreat in a cabin up in the High Sierra mountains of Northern California.

Early one morning out on the deck under the enormous and gently swaying mixed conifer trees, while I was meditating and saying my morning prayers, this full-blown story came to me. It almost felt as if my ancestors were whispering to me from centuries past.

The setting of this original story is Spain after 1492.

ONCE, A LONG TIME AGO, in old Cordoba, Spain, there lived a man and his wife. They were poor weavers, making their living by repairing and reweaving old rugs, barely making enough to eat and to buy the needed things for life.

This couple was pious and faithful, always saying their prayers, listening to the priests, and giving what they could to help those more unfortunate than themselves.

One day the weaver was taking his customary afternoon siesta under his family's fig tree in the courtyard of their house. Their home had once been gracious and beautiful but was now falling into ruin. The ancient tree had been growing in that dusty courtyard for hundreds of years, and the family had been blessed to live in the shade of that tree for many generations.

Over the years, the tree started to die, with more and more of the branches withering and drying up. The massive trunk of the tree had cracked and become deeply split, showing its age. But still, it had one small branch that was laden with fruit and healthy leaves. This area of healthy foliage produced just barely enough shade under which the weaver could rest.

Before he lay down for his daily nap in the heat of the afternoon, he said in a whisper the prayer he prayed daily. Please, God, I pray that you will bless my wife with a child. This was a prayer they both dearly desired to be fulfilled. When his prayer was over, he sighed deeply, feeling gratitude for the gifts that God had granted them, for their love for each other and their modest living. As he fell asleep, he wondered if their lives would ever be better than they were at that moment.

As he slept, the weaver was dreaming. In his dream, he