Posts Tagged‘Holidays’

Home » Holidays » Page 18

ICYMI: Video Recordings of Recent #JewLit Events

by Erika Dreifus on
1

One of the wonders of our modern world: recordings of literary events that make it possible for us to “attend” readings, conversations, and seminars—no matter where we live or what time of day we might be able to watch them.

Here are just three events from the past week or so that I have viewed and recommend highly:

CONFESSIONS OF A HASIDIC POET
Yehoshua November interviewed by journalist Danielle Ziri of the Jerusalem Post (Manhattan Jewish Experience).

(more…)

Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • I love Sandee Brawarsky’s recent Jewish Week profile of poet Yehoshua November and his work; I was especially happy to read the piece just a few days before attending a Jewish Book Council “salon” that featured November and other honorees for this year’s National Jewish Book Award in Poetry (now the Berru Award in Memory of Ruth and Bernie Weinflash). Do read to the end of Brawarsky’s profile for news on upcoming appearances where you can watch/hear November present his poetry.
  • It’s almost Purim! Check out this timely excerpt (on the Tablet website) from Abigail Pogrebin’s soon-to-be-published My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew.
  • Speaking of Abby Pogrebin’s new book—you still have a few days left to enter this final pre-publication giveaway.
  • There’s much to inspire in this brief Hadassah magazine news item on a Bar Mitzvah boy’s efforts to bring books to kids in rural Africa.
  • Last, but by no means least: “Lilith Magazine invites submissions of quality short fiction, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest. When selecting what you’ll submit, please remember our tagline. The magazine proudly spotlights both emerging and established writers. Winner receives $250 + publication. Deadline: 9/30/17.” No fee to enter. Details/submission instructions here.

    • Shabbat shalom and chag sameach!

    Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety. Since we’ll be taking a blog hiatus for the “rest of the year,” this is the final batch for 2016. See you again in January!

  • ICYMI: check out my dispatch from this year’s Hadassah magazine/Harold U. Ribalow Prize ceremony.
  • Speaking of prizes: Mazal tov to Ayelet Tsabari and Amy Gottlieb, who have been named winner and runner-up (for their respective works The Best Place on Earth and The Beautiful Possible) for the 2016 Edward Lewis Wallant Award.
  • On Hevria: writing advice from Matthue Roth.
  • Better late than never: I should have shared Judy Bolton-Fasman’s poignant essay “Memories of Cuba Past” several weeks ago.
  • And I’ll leave you with this Hanukkah poem for our times.

    • Shabbat shalom, chag sameach, and all good things until we meet again!

    A Hanukkah Poem

    by Erika Dreifus on
    4
    Giorgione’s “Judith”

     

    Rightful Places (A Poem for Hanukkah 5777/2016)

    By Erika Dreifus

    When, today, a woman’s right
    to wear a prayer shawl
    or read from the Torah
    or blow a shofar at the Kotel
    is actually the focus of a bill submitted to the Knesset,
    who can be surprised
    that Judith’s story
    is excluded from the Tanakh?

    For if Judith—
    brave,
    articulate,
    smart,
    powerful,
    pious,
    latter-day
    Hanukkah heroine

    Judith—
    had been granted admission
    to those holy pages,
    how on earth,
    all these centuries later,
    could anyone possibly justify
    denying her daughters
    our own rightful place?

    Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen

    Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • Coming this weekend in The New York Times Magazine: a poem by Yehoshua November (online now).
  • I love Zhanna Slor’s essays about her family and immigration history. Here’s a newly published piece, “They Used to Call Me Kolya.“
  • Yizkor-related rabbinical thoughts, from David Wolpe and Lisa S. Greene.
  • Now available: the October Jewish Book Carnival.
  • And ICYMI: some reflections (and a small reading list) inspired by Adam Kirsch’s The People and the Books.

    • Shabbat shalom!