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Vered Hankin, published author and internationally acclaimed storyteller, has been a featured performer in theaters, schools, universities, radio, film and television. She has been named "the leading storyteller of her generation" (The Jewish Week). Vered was the recipient of the National Security Education Project Grant to study Midrash (Jewish oral stories) at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as well as a research grant to study Jewish women's Midrash at the Joint Center for Jewish Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and Graduate Theological Union.

Her publications include stories and essays in On the Fringes: An Anthology of Young Jewish Women's Writings (SUNY Press, forthcoming 2003), The Complete Guide to Storytelling for Parents (Norton Press 2000), and interviews in such publications as Response and New Voices. She is the only artist who was commissioned by Mayan and Jewish Women's Archive to create performances for all of the women celebrated in Jewish Women's History Week. Vered's CD recording, "The Day the Rabbi Disappeared: Jewish Holiday Tales of Magic," based on The National Jewish Book Award winning collection by Howard Schwartz, features a full musical score by Bruce Ditmas, who has toured with Barbra Streisand, and is produced by Broadway Producer Shari Upbin. The CD has received the prestigious Award of Excellence from the Film Advisory Board, as well as The Gold Award from NAPPA (National Association of Parenting Publication Awards). In addition, Vered recently joined celebrities Jerry Stiller, Leonard Nimoy and Henry Winkler in an internationally aired radio show and audio CD of children's folktales, "One People: Many Stories."

Vered has performed in hundreds of venues as diverse as New York's prestigious 92nd Street Y, Makor, The Jewish Museum, the International Fringe Festival, Performance Space 122 (Obie award winning play), Jewish Federations, Hadassah's and Hillels around the country, schools of all denominations, Public International Radio and BRAVO TV. She is a member of UJC and Hadassah speakers' bureaus and has been commissioned by Jewish Women's Archive to create performance pieces for each of their "Women of Valor."

Having spent the first ten years of her life in Israel, Vered then spent the rest of her childhood in Kansas City before moving to New York. Currently, Vered is working on a children's storybook and developing a children's television show with Nickelodeon composer Joshua Sitron. Her scholarly interests include exploring the healing power of Jewish folklore through City University of New York's doctoral program in Clinical Psychology.

Joshua Sitron is best known for creating the theme song for Nickelodeon's "Dora the Explorer." In addition, Josh has written music for Disney's "PB+J Otter" and has just completed an independent children's album entitled FunkeyMonkeys!, which he and Vered are developing to become a children's television show. In addition to his work with Vered, Joshua accompanies the improvisational theater group "Centralia," a group consisting of fully grown adult children.

Steve Roiphe began making music at five-years-old, composing melodies in the shower. Later, he learned to sing, play trumpet, baritone horn, harmonica and the drums during high school in the suburbs of New York. While a student at Harvard, Steve studied music theory, blues, folk, and jazz guitar, spending summer terms at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Guitar Institute in Los Angeles. He also traveled to Ireland, where he studied at University College Cork, where he learned to play the tin whistle, button accordion, and bodhran (Irish hand drum). His band, Live Honey, has attracted a large following and received national accolades for its current CD, Move Yourself, including a nomination for American Music Award’s Best Unsigned Band.


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