Summer Series: Yoel Perez

Visiting teller Yoel Perez presents a unique evening that mixes history with storytelling, as he shares with us his work in collecting folk tales from the Middle East. Yoel has collected over 100 folktales from Bedouin tribes, alongside many more from Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and his native Israel. He will intersperse tales of his research and experiences as a folklorist with stories and folktales from his collection, with time afterward for questions and casual chatting over tea and treats.

ABOUT YOEL
The St. John’s Storytelling Festival welcomes Yoel Perez, a storyteller, folklorist, and scholar visiting us from Israel. Yoel was born in Jerusalem in 1945 to a Judeo-Espaniol family with roots in Aragon, Spain. Yoel was raised in a family of storytellers, learning the traditional art from his mother and grandmother who passed to him many tales.
As a folklorist, he has collected more than 100 folktales from Bedouin tribes, published in his bilingual (Hebrew and Arabic) academic book with folkloric, social and cultural commentaries. Yoel studied biology and computer sciences before pursuing his doctorate in folklore from Ben Gurion University, which led to a long career teaching folklore.

* The Lantern is wheelchair accessible, pay $15 at the door