Jewish Literary Links

an open book (with Hebrew pages visible); subtitle reads "Jewish Literary Links"
Image by Yedidia Klein from Pixabay

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.

[Apologies to subscribers: This went out earlier than it should have. An error as I typed!]

This week I discovered that Amiram Cooper—a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz who, at 84, is among the oldest Israeli hostages captured by Hamas—is the author of three books of poetry and one children’s book (source: The Times of Israel). I’m trying to find out more, including whether his work has been translated into English. May he be returned home swiftly and safely.

And I learned that another Nir Oz resident, Israeli-American-Canadian Judih Weinstein Haggai—whose death was announced late last week and whose body remains captive in Gaza—was also a poet. You can find some of her work on her YouTube channel; you might begin with some poetry that she shared there last spring. May her memory—and that of her husband, Gadi Haggai, whose death was announced some days earlier—be a blessing.

#BringThemAllHomeNow.

Shabbat shalom.

Jewish Literary Links

an open book (with Hebrew pages visible); subtitle reads "Jewish Literary Links"
Image by Yedidia Klein from Pixabay

  • In which Aviya Kushner closes out “the year of Chava Rosenfarb.”
  • Lilith magazine previews “21 Books We Want to Read in 2024.”
  • “The Sephardic Studies Program of the University of Washington in Seattle and the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood Foundation are thrilled to partner in presenting the inaugural National Sephardic Essay Competition to open a new space for the telling of Sephardic stories.” (“Essay” is somewhat misleading, as entrants are encouraged to “share an original, previously unpublished work of prose [fictional or memoiristic] that gives voice to the Sephardic American experience [whether from family lore, lived experience, community heritage, life stories, etc.]”) No entry fees. Cash prizes. Deadline: March 22. (Hat tip: Sarah Aroeste.)
  • From Gary Rosenblatt: a critique of The New York Times’s recent Israel/Hamas coverage.
  • And if you haven’t checked it lately, you may want peruse the “After October 7: Readings, Recordings, and More” document-in-progress.

Shabbat shalom.

Jewish Literary Links

an open book (with Hebrew pages visible); subtitle reads "Jewish Literary Links"
Image by Yedidia Klein from Pixabay

  • If you missed last Sunday’s Literary Modiin Israel Solidarity event, a recording is now available. (My own remarks about addressing antisemitism are included.)
  • There still time—until 4pm Eastern Friday (December 22)—to bid on the tempting array of items that Artists Against Antisemitism is offering in its auction to benefit Project Shema’s educational efforts.
  • For Tablet, Maxim D. Shrayer analyzes “the intifada generation that sacrificed its poets” that is valorized by the international literary community—”a valediction not forbidding Israel-hatred.”
  • Open for fiction submissions: Paper Brigade, the Jewish Book Council’s literary journal, until February 15, 2024. Note that they do charge a $3 fee for each submission; writers are paid for accepted/published work, although the rate is not specified.
  • And the December Jewish Book Carnival has gone live, hosted for the month by Barbara Bietz.

And one more note: If you haven’t checked it lately, you may want peruse the “After October 7: Readings, Recordings, and More” document-in-progress. May it be a Shabbat shalom for all.

Jewish Literary Links: Upcoming Opportunities Edition

plain blue-white graphic announcing upcoming Jewish-writing opportunities

I hit “send” for the December 2023 issue of The Practicing Writer 2.0 earlier this morning. Among the dozens of fee-free (and paying) opportunities listed there are several that focus on developing and/or recognizing Jewish work.

Reminder: As I’ve said before, Jewish work can (and does!) find homes in “secular” or other not-necessarily-“Jewish” publications, presses, and programs. So be sure to check out all of the other opportunities listed in this newsletter issue, too.

Shabbat shalom.