Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide

Stone Soup: A Story of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world)
A version by Maxine Handelman
Once upon a time on a Friday morning, two weary
travelers wandered into town. The taller of the two,
Mendel, carried a large pot. The smaller man, Joshua,
held a large stone. With a loud clang, Mendel sat the
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pot down in the center of the village square. The people in this village did not like
strangers. Usually strangers wanted something, and the villagers did not have very much,
and they did not like to share. Even so, the villagers paused to see what these strange men
were doing with their pot. Joshua filled the pot with water from the well in the village
square. Then Mendel and Joshua worked together to move the heavy pot onto the fire in
the village square. As the people watched, Joshua dropped his stone into the pot with a
big splash. One of the villagers became curious and asked the strangers, “What are you
doing?”
“Why, we are making stone soup,” said Mendel, patting his stomach with a satisfied grin.
The people watched as the water in the pot began to bubble. “Yup,” said Joshua. “This
soup, flavored by our wonderful stone, will be just delicious.” He waited a moment and
then added, “Of course, it would be even tastier with some carrots or onions, but it will be
just fine the way it is.”
“I have a few carrots,” offered a woman. “I have an onion,” added a man. They ran to
their houses, and soon came back with the carrots and onion, and threw them in the pot.
“Ah, yes,” said Mendel. “This will be a fine soup. But it’s too bad we have no potatoes.”
“I have some!” a man called. Soon potatoes were cooking up in the soup. Joshua sniffed
the pot, and said, “Oh Mendel, it’s too bad we are all out
of salt. What this soup would taste like with a little salt,
and maybe a bay leaf!” In no time, a woman ran to her
house and came back with salt. Another woman came
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running to the pot with several spices and a bay leaf. Mendel looked at the bubbling soup
and said slowly, “Can you imagine if we only had a chicken in this soup? What a feast
that would be!” The crowd was silent, then a man called, “I have one chicken.” He ran to
his chicken coop and soon came back with a chicken for the soup.
By now delicious smells were wafting from the pot, and the sun was beginning to get low
in the sky. Joshua said to Mendel, “Shabbat will soon be here. We have this wonderful
soup, more than enough to share with friends. It is too bad we have no candles, no wine,
no challah. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful Shabbat?”
In no time, a table was set up in the village square, with a tablecloth, candles, wine, and
two beautiful challot. Mendel sniffed the pot and declared loudly, “Our soup is ready!”
Looking around at the villagers, he said, “Friends, won’t you please join us for Shabbat?
We have wonderful soup to share.”
Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide
USCJ Department of Education
Maxine Handelman
Handelman@uscj.org
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