Erika Dreifus

Regular followers of the My Machberet blog know that I routinely share collections of links, drawn primarily from the world of Jewish books and writing. And as a Jewish writer in the Diaspora who is deeply bonded to Israel, I frequently feature items from or pertaining to Israel and its literature.

But there is nothing routine about what began in southern Israel last Shabbat morning, or any of the days since then.

Here, then, is a “solidarity edition.” And as I said on a related post on the Practicing Writing blog yesterday, may the memories of the slaughtered be a blessing; may the wounded heal; may the captives be rescued soon and swiftly. May there soon be peace, for everyone.

• Call for submissions: For an “emergency anthology for Israel” titled Am Yisrael Chai: Essays, Prayers, and Poems for Israel, Rabbi Menachem Creditor seeks submissions no later than 9am (Eastern) Monday, October 16. (Full guidelines within this Facebook post.) “All proceeds will to to the UJA-Federation of New York Israel Emergency Campaign.”
• Kar-Ben Publishing is currently offering a free Israel-themed virtual bookshelf to help families and educators to share stories about Israel at no cost. (And if you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’m proof that you don’t need to be raising or educating children on a day-to-day basis to benefit from reading Jewish children’s literature.)
• Planned for next Sunday (October 22): Literary Modiin will host a “Solidarity with Israel” event. Register to attend “to hear perspectives from Israeli writers and share your support during these excruciating time.”
• New Jersey-based author Michelle Cameron had long anticipated the launch event for Babylon, her latest (and very Jewish) novel. In this poignant and powerful post, she explains why, even amid our collective grief and horror, she has decided to move forward with that event, which is scheduled for tomorrow (October 15). She doesn’t link to event info within her post, but I will do so here; if you are in the vicinity of Chatham, New Jersey, please consider attending. In solidarity.
• And if you missed what I shared here Thursday, and you’re still present on the platform that I continue to call Twitter: I’ve posted there a thread of solidarity statements/ expressions of sorrow from literary (and literary-adjacent) organizations. The overwhelming majority of the ones that I’ve been able to identify so far have issued from groups with explicitly Jewish-driven missions. (The dearth of such messages from others—never mind the heinous, callous, cruel collective comments that make one yearn for silence in their place—is a matter for another time.)

There is more to say, and more to share. In fact, you’ll find another post right here on My Machberet tomorrow when, as previously scheduled, the blog hosts the October Jewish Book Carnival.

For now, Shavua Tov. Oseh Shalom. And Am Yisrael Chai.