Whether she is performing, teaching, facilitating or consulting, Cindy Rivka Marshall is guided by her value of respect for all.
Cindy’s goals are to enhance learning and cultural experiences, promote diversity awareness and build a sense of community. She creates safe environments for participants to speak and be heard. Cindy tells multicultural and Jewish stories with universal lessons that resonate with her sense of wonder. She teaches storytelling, communication, oral history interviewing and listening skills, and story-based approaches to teaching.
Download Cindy’s Bio
Award-winning Storyteller
Cindy has performed stories and presented workshops since 1989 throughout New England, nationally and in England, at festivals, conferences, schools, libraries, synagogues, churches and community groups. She studied acting, movement improvisation and storytelling with Julie Portman, Daena Giardella, Marsha Hiller, Elisa Pearmain, Peninnah Schram and others.
Her recordings include:
By the River: Women’s Voices in Jewish Stories
Parents’ Choice Recommended Award
Challah and Latkes: Stories for Shabbat and Hanukkah
Storytelling World Honor Award, National Parenting Publications Award
Bear’s Tail and other Animal Tales
Parents’ Choice Recommended Award, Storytelling World Honor Award
Facilitator and Consultant
Cindy offers consultation and training in the use of story modalities to address the needs of congregations and schools. She facilitates groups to share stories across differences to promote diversity awareness, she coaches individuals to craft stories, and assists groups to articulate their values and message and tell their organizational story.
Her clients include Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Exploration Summer Programs, Brandeis University Summer Programs, Gann Academy, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Brimmer and May School.
Cindy trained with Equity Consulting to lead diversity awareness education and with Keshet to lead LGBTQ awareness workshops.
Cindy holds a Masters degree in Communications from Goddard College.
Cindy has performed and presented workshops at: National Storytelling Network Conference, Northlands Storytellling Conference, John F. Kennedy Library, Sharing the Fire: Northeast Storytelling Conference, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation National Convention, Riverway Storytelling Festival, Adoption Community of New England Conference, Limmud UK, NewCAJE, CAJE, LimmudBoston, Connecticut Storytelling Festival.
Teacher and Story Coach
Read article about Cindy in Creative Jewish Educators series
Cindy runs the Dancing Tree Story Workshop at the Gorse Mill Artists Studios in Needham, MA where she offers workshops and coaching in storytelling skills.
“The creative energy in the room inspired me to try something I hadn’t before.”
More
Cindy serves as the co-chair of the Jewish Storytelling Coalition, a network of Jewish storytellers and resources.
She worked as a Video Producer, Director and Editor for 15 years, with many programs distributed nationally, internationally, on cable and public television. Throughout the 1980’s, Cindy worked as a video artist-in-residence in public schools all over eastern Massachusetts. Her award-winning films include:
A portrait of Yiddish folksinger Ruth Rubin.“Key Changes”A portrait of Lisa Thorson, a jazz singer who is physically disabled.