Sunday, August 23, 2026
The Lore and Allure of the Jersey Devil
Presented by Cynthia Grzywinski

Growing up in the Pinelands, I’d heard many lurid stories about the Jersey Devil. For over 300 years the legend of this infamous enigmatic cryptid has endured – many claiming to have seen it. The tale begins at Leeds Point (only a few miles from our building) in 1735. When Mother Leeds bears her 13 th child, she damns it to the devil. Suddenly the newborn morphs into a hideous demon and flies away into the night. But the Jersey Devil legend is more than a scary story to frighten children. Like most folk tales, it’s a story that represents our common culture and history; connecting us to our precious Pinelands’ heritage. Let’s take a new look at our devilish hero.

Cynthia, a UUCSJS member, has been affiliated with this congregation since 2005. Currently she is a member of the Nominations Committee, UUCSJS choir and Buddhist Sangha. A former FAA Engineering Research Psychologist, she worked in the aeronautical community for 28 years, mainly conducting research into experimental aviation weather products before her retirement in 2017. A lover of music, Cynthia also plays piano and flute and sings in the Grace Notes Hospice Choir.