Erika Dreifus

Toward the end of each week, the My Machberet blog presents a collection of links, drawn primarily from the world of Jewish books and writing.

• “Just a few months ago, this scene would have been unimaginable: Eli Sharabi, free, and standing before a crowd at a Tel Aviv museum to launch a book about his 491 days as a hostage in Gaza.” Ariela Karmel reports for The Times of Israel.
• Arrived in the mail this week: the latest issue of The Jewish Quarterly, presenting a lengthy essay by Adam Kirsch that’s titled “The Z Word: Reclaiming Zionism.” (And here’s a little secret: There’s a link to a free digital version of the essay available within this announcement.)
• In case you missed it: The latest issue of The Practicing Writer 2.0 went out to subscribers late last week. Among the dozens of fee-free, paying/funded opportunities for writers listed there are a few that are seeking explicitly Jewish work.
• “It’s film festival season in New York, and dozens of Jewish and Israeli movies will be showing across the city in June — many premiering in New York or the United States for the first time.” Jackie Hajdenberg reports for The Times of Israel.
• The Yiddish Book Center “seeks a Marketing & Social Media Coordinator to join its communications team.” This full-time, on-site position in Amherst, Massachusetts, is listing a salary range of USD $48,000 – $54,000. Application deadline: June 20.

And, again, updates have continued for both “After October 7: Readings, Recordings, and More” and “Writers, Beware.”

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Updated to add: I am taking a moment, about an hour after this pre-scheduled post was published, to add a note.

Day 608 brings news that the IDF has recovered and returned the bodies of Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein Haggai, a couple murdered October 7 while on a morning walk near their home at Kibbutz Nir Oz and then kidnapped to Gaza.

I cannot help feeling that I failed Judih. Over these painfully many months, in my communications with multiple literary-trade outlets/organizations regarding their war-related coverage, I have reminded them (in some cases, repeatedly) that she was a poet (one with American citizenship, too). Still–no mention/acknowledgment.

May Gadi and Judih’s family and friends find some comfort in their return. May every hostage soon be home. And may this terrible war soon end.