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Family Memoir Workshops

Your Family History Is About The People You Know

Join a Workshop Waitlist

Family Memoir Workshops

Your Family History Is About The People You Know

Join a Workshop Waitlist

Safekeeping Stories offers workshops that teach you how to write your family history. But we aren’t talking about ancient history, but instead the stories of your childhood. About your parents and grandparents—the people you know and care about. Their stories are your stories and continue to live on in your lives.

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The Storykeeping® Method

Our Storykeeping method provides focused weekly activities to capture the key elements of your family history in short narratives we call Slices. Gain valuable insights into your family by sharing with the weekly workshop group. You’ll consciously connect the dots and leave a legacy of a new language, ideas, and pride for future generations.

Want to write a story about your parent or grandparent who is a Holocaust survivor? Learn about our Safekeeping Stories of the Holocaust Workshop

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The Benefits of Writing Your  family history

Remind Your Children
What They’re Made Of

Stories tell us how our family faced challenges, held on to hope, and celebrated life. Sharing those stories builds connection, identity, and belonging.

  • Grandpa’s arrival at Ellis Island—and the ways his resilience is still alive in family members today
  • The oil painting in the dining room—and how it started your family’s art collection
  • Your mother’s secret cheesecake recipe—and the reason why she kept it a secret

We Often Hear The Experience Is Transformative

It makes sense—once you learn how to write your family history, the bits and pieces from inside your head are now a coherent multi-generational family narrative. You now have the language and understanding to talk about your family in a way you’ve never done before.

Participants tell us they:

  • Successfully brought their ancestors to life—and into historical perspective
  • Experienced peace knowing they’ve preserved their story
  • Were surprised by their new ability to write their story with their voice
  • They found writing their story to be liberating and fulfilling

Learn how to write your family history
in a profound and meaningful way.

Join a Workshop Waitlist

Prefer to work with us one-on-one? Learn about our One-on-One Consulting.

The Safekeeping Stories Program is of tremendous value to the participants and their families. Prior to this program, the remembrances of my father’s family was a collection of pictures, documents, video recordings and extensive verbal recollections. The carefully designed writing assignments, excellent teaching by Ellen Kaidanow and class interactions enabled me to craft this large collection of information into a flowing narrative that brought my ancestors to life and into historical perspective.
—Howard Reissner
“I can’t thank you enough for all I’ve gotten from the Safekeeping Stories Workshop experience. It provided just the right combination of structure, encouragement, gentle coaching and opportunities to share with our group. These are meaningful family stories that could have stopped with me, but now they have been preserved for my children and future generations.”
—Dr. Robert Stark
“I am very grateful to Jill Sarkozi for developing the framework and providing the tools to help me write and preserve my dad’s story. Safekeeping Stories enabled me to better understand my dad’s life experiences and the dilemmas he faced. I am thankful to have a living document that will ensure my dad’s history will never be forgotten.”
—Dennis Schoen

Family Memoir Workshop

This workshop will help you

Learn how to write your family history
Identify the stories that are most critical to capture
Identify character strengths that run in your family
Establish an archive to pass along key family facts
Make your story meaningful to your kids and the generations to come
Preserve your family’s story in 7 to 14 pages

Workshop Details

8 weekly, 90-minute sessions
Sessions are online and live via Zoom
Receive personal guidance from your Facilitator on your story
Program materials include a printable Storykeeping Guide and weekly instruction to guide your journey at home
You’ll need at least 90 minutes per week to do the homework. Plan to spend 2-3 hours per week to get the most out of the class
We’ll provide some resources, but historical and genealogical research is outside the scope of this class and is done at your discretion and direction
Cost: $480

Ready to learn how to write 
your family history?

Join a Workshop Waitlist

Prefer to work with us one-on-one? Learn about our One-on-One Consulting.

sneak peek:
Family Memoir Workshop Sessions

Here’s an example of the sessions in a recent workshop.

1

Be a Storykeeper

2

What is Your Inherited Narrative?

3

Discover Your Family’s Past

4

How to Write About the Difficulties

5

Finding Stories in Photos

6

Capture Hope, Celebration & Joy

7

Bring Meaning to Your Story

8

Next Gen:
Beginnings & Endings