By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California –The new season of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices will open at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 11, in the Astor Judaica Library with three exciting poets, Marcia Bookstein, Iska Koth and Laura Ribitzky.
This free evening at the Lawrence Family JCC is hosted by Joy Heitzmann and features local Jewish poets, selected by the Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices Committee.
Cellist Marcia Bookstein, who received her B.A. degree from Cal State Northridge, is a 47 year, recently retired, member of the San Diego Symphony. She began writing poetry at the age of twelve, inspired by a drawing a classmate made of her in an art class. All her crushes got poems, but when she became a professional cellist at age 18, her poetry writing was put aside. It reemerged when she took an improv class, blossomed when she began writing daily limericks to her husband, and flourished when JP-JV poet Felicia Morgenstein invited her to participate in a 100 day Haiku writing experience. She looks forward to sharing her works.
Iska Koth is a native of Manchester, England, where their family was part of its unique Hasidic Jewish community. Their poems tackle topics of social justice, mental health and personal resilience. Their voice headlined at Poets Underground.
Currently a nursing student by day and a poet by night, their poetry promises to captivate with stories of struggle, recovery and self-discovery.
Laura Ribitzky, originally from Israel, has lived and worked throughout the world. Her experiences as an immigrant and traveler prompt her to look for nuance and paradoxes among people and cultures. Through poetry, she attempts to transcend raw images of global conflict that tear through land and family. She completed her BA in Social Thought & Political Economy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, received her MA in Conflict Resolution from U Mass, Boston, and her law degree from the City University of New York School of Law.
She currently resides in San Diego, where she is pursuing an MFA from San Diego State University and is the recipient of the Sarah B. Marsh-Rebello Scholarship for Poetry. Her poems have appeared in Zone 3, the San Diego Poetry Annual, the Poets Underground Anthology, and the forthcoming Crisis Carnival Magazine.
The first hour showcasing the three featured poets will be followed by a half hour of open mic, at which audience members are invited to share their works. The evening will end with a reception for all, with refreshments provided by JP—JV members, organized by Jane Zeer.
The next program presented by Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices on Tuesday, January 13, will be Jewish Poets of the Past and will feature the poetry of the Yiddish writer, Itshe Slutsky, and the lyrics and music of Naomi Shemer. Slutsky was the only Yiddish poet who was turned back at Ellis Island. His poetry reflects his experiences. Shemer was called, “the first lady of Israeli song and poetry.” The poetry will be read in English translation by members of the JP—JV committee and in the original Yiddish and Hebrew. Songs will be sung by the Ohr Shalom Choir under the direction of Elisheva Edelson and by Edelson and Myla Wingard. Click this link to register.
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Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.