Meet Shoshana Litman
About
I am Shoshana Litman, Canada’s first ordained Maggidah (a female Jewish storyteller, teacher and inspirational speaker). My grandparents immigrated to North America from Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th century. I was born on unceded Coast Salish Territory in Vancouver and have been an uninvited guest to Lukwengun Territory since 1992. My pronouns are she/her.
I received a degree in Environmental Science in 1987 from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington where I worked as an environmentalist for the Washington State Department of Ecology. My husband, Todd, and I have been car free since 2008. I enjoy walking, bicycling, bird watching and spending time with my adventurous family and our black lab-shepherd-mastiff, Sarita. I also maintain a daily spiritual practice that helps keep me centered, especially during stressful times.
I have studied spirituality, healing and storytelling with Indigenous Elders as well as Maggid Yitzhak Buxbaum (may his memory be for a blessing) of Brooklyn NYC. I continue to study Jewish teachings, both mystical and practical, with local rabbis. During the pandemic, I was pleased to be able to learn from gifted Jewish educators at the Pardes Institute of Jerusalem and to begin practicing Qi Gong with local practitioners. I also launched a YouTube channel to continue sharing stories online.
I have worked as a professional storyteller for all ages both locally and nationally, as an administrator for the Mussar (Jewish ethics) Institute of Vancouver, as the South Island Regional Coordinator for the Way to Go! School Program (an active transportation program for elementary and middle schools), as a registered massage therapist and as a newspaper columnist. My husband, Todd, and I raised two bright sons, Graham and Raviv, who attended UVic for their graduate degrees in law and anthropology.
My office hours are by appointment, or drop-in on Wednesdays from 1 - 3 at the Student Wellness Centre. (January through April 2022)