🄸 After October 7: Getting Pen to Paper (in-person)

This session will take place in-person at the JCA. Another writing workshop will be held on zoom on March 12th 6:30-8:00pm.

Slowly I would get to pen and paper,

Make my poems for others unseen and unborn.

 ~ Muriel Rukeyser, from Poem (I lived in the first century of world wars)

This offers JCA members a guided opportunity to find written expression for some of what they’ve been carrying around since October 7. For those familiar Jena’s Elul writing sessions, this will follow a similar format.

Since October 7, many of us in the Jewish community have felt stifled, silenced, or too grief-stricken to find words for the multitude of responses to and feelings about the Hamas massacre and ensuing, ongoing war in Gaza.

During this 90-minute workshop, JCA members will draw inspiration from 20^th century writers (Marge Piercy, Yehuda Amichai, Muriel Rukeyser and Irina Klepfisz) as well as more contemporary voices (Jessica Greenbaum, Erika Meitner, and Jena herself!).

We’ll begin by reading a handful of poems together that speak to the yearning, grief, and resilience of our people. We will then have a period of timed writing followed by optional sharing, much like the format Jena has successfully brought to Days of Awe writing workshops in 2022 and 2023.

Note that this is not a writing workshop in the traditional sense, so there will be no critiquing of each other’s writing but rather gentle witnessing and positive reflection. All are welcome to participate; no special writing background needed.