Stories From The Tribe: Cincinnati

11. Melissa Hunter: "So, Is He Jewish?"

This week's storyteller is Melissa W. Hunter. Melissa is an award-winning author and cohost of The Kibbitz Podcast. Her writing has appeared in Kveller, Literary Mama, Books by Women, and The American Israelite, and she is a regular columnist for Cincy Jewfolk. Her short stories have been featured in the Jewish Literary Journal, and her novella Through a Mirror Clear was serialized in the literary journal The Same. Melissa’s passion for storytelling and deep connection to her family history inspired her debut novel, What She Lost, based on her grandmother’s life as a Holocaust survivor. Her most recent book, Eight Wishes, is a heartwarming Hanukkah romance.

10. Allison Schneider: "The Mitzvah"

This week's storyteller, Allison Schneider, has a background as a special education teacher, an early intervention provider for children birth through three, a teacher supervisor, and an executive function coach. She has served on her sisterhood and Temple boards. Her favorite “job” is as wife to her amazing husband Philip and mother to two wonderful neurodiverse children. In her limited free time, she loves playing board games with family and friends, and attending boardgame conventions, and cruising.

9. Gabriella Schachetti: "Love You Forever"

This week's storyteller is Gabriella Scacchetti. Gabriella has worked in the nonprofit world for over a decade. She is the Principal Editor at Clever Crazes for Kids, a free educational enrichment resource for students across the country. Scacchetti is an advocate for hospice and palliative care, and she serves on fundraising committees for Hospice of Cincinnati and the Fernside Center for Grieving Children. A devoted arts enthusiast, she’ll rave about the Cincinnati Ballet to anyone who’ll listen.

8. Elyse Krause: "How I Got a Jewish Mother on Zoom"

This week's storyteller is Elyse Krause. Elyse is a Cincinnati native, serves as the Engagement Professional at Rockdale Temple. Passionate about exploring all aspects of Judaism, she recently chanted Torah for the first time, is learning to lead services, and is studying second-year Hebrew at the University of Cincinnati. When not working or studying, Elyse enjoys knitting on her balcony with her dog, Chickadee, an 11-year-old boxer mix who keeps her laughing with constant antics.

7. Susannah Roitman: "Muffin’s Exodus out of Egypt"

This week's storyteller, Susannah Roitman, is a Lexington-based stand-up comic serving up unapologetic laughs with a GenX twist. Self-branded as “50 & Fun-Sized,” Susannah mines her life for comedy gold—everything from bad perms, small-town childhoods, and awkward family traditions to the chaos of middle age. Her style is sharp, snarky, and a little raunchy, proving that funny doesn’t come with an expiration date. A regular at local venues like Comedy Off Broadway and beyond, she brings big energy in a small package.