Writing

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Miriam Novitch

Miriam Novitch was a member of the French Resistance during World War II and, after, an advocate for education on the Jewish resistance and the experiences of Holocaust survivors. She was one of the founders of the Itzhak Katzenelson Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Heritage Museum (also known as the Ghetto Fighter’s House, or GFH) and served as the curator for its art collection for many years. 

Gloria Gervitz

The Mexican Ashkenazi poet Gloria Gervitz (1943–2022) is known for her award-winning, book-length poem Migrations (Migraciones). This poem, an epic journey through the individual and collective memories of Ashkenazi women emigrants to Mexico, which she began writing in 1976, took her 44 years to complete. In 2018, Gervitz won the prestigious Pablo Neruda Ibero-American Poetry Award for Migraciones.

Rachel Luria

Rachel Luria (Rokhl Lurye) was a writer of Yiddish short fiction and investigative journalism in the early twentieth century. She was known for her complex and often cynical writing about immigrant life, especially in regards to portrayals of sexuality and gender.

Sofia Isaias-Day 2024 Cropped

Where Are They Now? RVF Alum Sofia Isaias-Day

Sarah Biskowitz

JWA talks to Rising Voices Fellowship alum Sofia Isaias-Day for our series marking the 10th anniversary of the fellowship.

Angèle Guéron

Angèle Guéron was an educator in Edirne, once an important city in the late Ottoman Empire, now a border town in northwestern Turkey. The eloquent journal she kept during the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) provides a rare glimpse of life in a besieged Ottoman city and the struggles of a Sephardi Jewish woman against a conservative communal patriarchy. 

Charlotte Charlaque

Finding Strength in My Transcestor

Ariadne Wolf

My great-aunt Charlotte has taught me so much. But until recently, I didn't even know she existed. 

Helen Kim Headshot

7 Questions For Helen Kim

Sarah Groustra

JWA chats with sociology professor and author Helen Kim.

Episode 111: Ladino Makes a Comeback

Segun el tiempo, se abolta la vela. That’s a Ladino saying that means, “According to the weather, shift your sail.” And it's an apt way of describing Ladino's recent comeback. Ladino—or Judeo-Spanish—the language spoken by Sephardic Jews in Turkey, Greece and North Africa, saw a major decline after the Holocaust destroyed communities of native speakers. But like a sailboat shifting course when the wind changes direction, Ladino has adapted to the times. In this episode of Can We Talk, you’ll hear how from Naomi Spector and Nesi Altaras, two Ladino enthusiasts, and from Hannah Pressman, one of the people spearheading Ladino’s resurgence.

Rose Clubok cropped

Where Are They Now? RVF Alum Rose Clubok

Sarah Biskowitz

JWA talks to Rising Voices Fellowship alum Rose Clubok for our series marking the 10th anniversary of the fellowship.

"The Book Of Jerusalem" Cover

"The Book of Jerusalem" by Julia Vinograd

Mildred Faintly

Out of her personal suffering and poetic genius, Julia Vinograd created an iconic image of Jerusalem that is powerful, feminist, and unforgettably, startlingly modern.

black and white drawing of people dancing in couples at a ball, circa 1800s

Scandalous Dance Scenes, Romance Plots, and Jewish Literary Modernity

Sonia Gollance

Long before Fiddler on the Roof, Jewish writers used partner dance as a powerful metaphor for social changes that transformed Jewish communities.

Eleanor Harris Headshot cropped

Where Are They Now? RVF Alum Eleanor Harris

Sarah Biskowitz

JWA talks to Rising Voices Fellowship alum Eleanor Harris for our series marking the 10th anniversary of the fellowship.

"Letters from Rifka" book cover

From 'Rifka' to a Lifelong Love of Jewish Books

Isadora Kianovsky

It was through Jewish books that I, and many women like me, learned to challenge the world around us, just as Rifka did. 

Collage of The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Authentic Representation in "The Gilded Wolves"

Aria Lynn-Skov

My love for the novel is due to the care that Roshani Chokshi took in writing a diverse cast of characters whose identities are important but aren’t their defining features.  

Topics: Fiction, Publishing

Julia Vinograd

Julia Vinograd was a street poet and the author of 68 slender volumes of verse widely admired for their vivid portraits of bohemians and street people in twentieth-century Berkeley, California. Her writing, which evolved in café open mic readings, is notable for its oratorical clarity, emotional warmth, and surreal imagination. 

Woman with long brown hair, dark rimmed glasses and dark shirt

Q & A with Leah Berkenwald, Co-Creator of "A Feminist Romance Novel, Podcast!"

Sarah Groustra

JWA chats with Leah Berkenwald, co-creator of the new audio-drama, A Feminist Romance Novel, Podcast! Temptations at Sweetwater Creek.

Collage of Alte Zachen

Healing Trauma through Intergenerational Relationships in "Alte Zachen"

Julia Brode Kroopkin

In addition to sharing messages of patience, understanding, and unwavering love, Alte Zachen balances stories of Jewish suffering with stories of Jewish joy.

A Court of Thorns and Roses Book Cover: red background with black dragon in the background, Sarah J Maas at the bottom

A Cult Favorite with Jewish, Feminist Themes

Dr. Jamie Ehrenpreis

In her hugely popular fantasy series, Sarah J. Maas puts Jewish texsts and biblical women at the forefront. 

Topics: Fiction, Bible, Feminism
Headshot of Emma Mair with shoulder-length light brown hair and tortoiseshell glasses, posing in front of trees

Where Are They Now? RVF Alum Emma Mair

Sarah Biskowitz

JWA talks to Rising Voices Fellowship alum Emma Mair for our series marking the 10th anniversary of the fellowship.

Jessica Jacobs Headshot Cropped

7 Questions For Poet Jessica Jacobs

Sarah Biskowitz

JWA chats with Jessica Jacobs, poet and founder and executive director of the organization Yetzirah: A Home for Jewish Poetry. 

Topics: Poetry
Marra Gad cropped headshot

7 Questions For Marra Gad

Jen Richler

JWA talks to author, speaker, and writer/producer Marra Gad. 

“The Choice: Embrace the Possible,” by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, is Reviewed by the New York Times

October 6, 2017

The Choice: Embrace the Possible, by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, is a devastating yet beautiful memoir detailing the course of Dr. Eger’s life. 

Tova Ricardo Named Oakland’s Youth Poet Laureate

August 16, 2015

The child of a Black Creole father and a biracial Jewish mother, Tova Ricardo grew up hearing stories of her family’s encounters with historical injustices, such as her maternal ancestors fleeing pogroms and her paternal ancestors reckoning with the aftermath of American slavery. Inspired by both her ancestors’ bravery and strength, as well as the continued presence of systemic oppression against African Americans and Jews in the world today, Ricardo uses her voice as a weapon of resistance against oppression. In particular, she turns to poetry as a means of exploring her intersecting identities and calling out injustice in the world around her. 

Bettina Aptheker, April 1967

Bettina Aptheker Saved My Life

Ariadne Wolf

Seeing a Jewish woman defy efforts to silence her was life-giving.

Young woman with dark hair and black sweather standing in front of a pillar

Where Are They Now? RVF Alum Isabel Kirsch

Sarah Biskowitz

JWA talks to Rising Voices Fellowship alum Isabel Kirsch for our series marking the 10th anniversary of the fellowship.

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