VOICES ISRAEL GROUP OF POETS IN ENGLISH · Submit your pieces to the poet, Shulamit Bat Or, at [email protected] ... We wish you only good health and happiness for many more!! To Helen

VOICES ISRAEL GROUP OF POETS IN ENGLISH

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DECEMBER NEWSLETTER December 2019 Amuta No. 58-019-703-6

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear All, It’s December and the end of 2019 beckons. I’m looking forward to Voices Israel’s start to December with the launch on Sunday 1st of our 2019 Voices Anthology volume 45 at the Stage Bar, Karaoke, Netanya. It proved a very satisfactory launch venue last year and should be great again this year. The management now understands that we don’t need a disc jockey! A full report will be in the next newsletter. Every Voices Israel member should now have received a free copy of the 2019 Voices Israel anthology volume 45. Please do let me know if you haven’t. Readers will see elsewhere in the newsletter the seal of the President of the State of Israel. President Rivlin has acknowledged and thanked for the condolences we sent in the summer when Nechama Rivlin died. It is good to know our letter brought comfort. Nechama was a fine poet as well as being a very popular First Lady. Mark Levinson, the Reuben Rose Competition administrator, has his team working hard to complete the task of judging the 29th Reuben Rose poetry competition. Results will be published as soon as they are available. The Bar Sagi Young Poets Prize has been launched. If you have suitable contacts and are able to help publicise the competition, please do email the prize’s administrator Wendy Dickstein. [email protected]. There is background information about the competition on our website www.voicesisrael.com. Please do look at the announcement about a new publisher/designer needed for the Voices annual anthology. We are saying a fond goodbye to Johnmichael Simon although he will still edit future chapbooks. The 2020 AGM will be the proper place to thank Johnmichael. He has very kindly prepared a helpful information sheet about the duties of the publisher/designer and I shall be happy to email this to anyone considering volunteering for this exacting but rewarding position in Voices. Please do contact me if you are interested. [email protected] This monthly newsletter is an important aspect of communication within Voices. It is good to have its editor, our secretary Linda Suchy, back in Israel. She managed to complete all her responsibilities as secretary for four months from thousands of miles away. She is a wonder as is modern technology. Thank you so much Linda. Very best wishes to you all for December and a happy Hanukah. Susan Susan Olsburgh, President Voices Israel



DECEMBER 2019

MEETING DATES, TIMES AND PLACES HAIFA TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24 AT 7:30 PM Judy Koren’s 10 Costa Rica, Danya, Haifa Tel: 04-8341704 Coordinator: Wendy Blumfield Tel: 04-837-6820 Mobile: 054-524-0412 [email protected]

TEL AVIV SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 AT 7:30 PM Beit Ariela (in T.A. main library bldg.) Conf Room, Floor -1 25 Shaul HaMelech Blvd. Tel Aviv Coordinator: Mark Levinson Tel: 054-444-8438 [email protected]

JERUSALEM TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10 AT 6:00 PM Toby Shuster’s 5 Aza Street, Rehavia Jerusalem Coordinator: Avril Meallem Tel: 02-567-0998 [email protected]

UPPER GALILE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18 FROM 5:00-7 PM Reuven and Yehudit’s 128 Keren HaYesod Artists Quarter, Tzfat Coordinator: Reuven Goldfarb Tel: 04-6974105 Mobile: 058-414-0262 [email protected]

BET SHEMESH / MODIIN NO MEETINGS PLANNED

NETANYA & SHARON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30 AT 7:30PM Linda Suchy’s 5/7 Rehov Haim Laskov (4th floor) Ramat Poleg Coordinator: Susan Olsburgh Tel: 074-704-2736 [email protected]

WESTERN GALILEE FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT PHYLLSIE Coordinator: Phyllsie Gross Tel: 052-874-6880 [email protected]

LONDON UK FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT ESTHER. Esther Lipton [email protected]

GUSH ETZION PLEASE CONTACT MINDY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE GROUP RE-STARTING. Coordinator: Mindy Aber Barad Tel: 05-4667936 [email protected]

SOUTHERN FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MIRIAM Coordinator: Miriam Green Tel: 05-7388640 [email protected]

ASHKELON FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT CHAIM Coordinator: Chaim Bezalel Tel: 054-674-5900 [email protected]

BERLIN, GERMANY FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT BRITTA. Coordinator: Britta R. Kollberg [email protected]

President Susan Olsburgh 2/6 Zalman Shazar Ramat Poleg, Netanya Tel: 074-704-2736 [email protected]

Secretary Linda Suchy Haim Laskov 5/7 Netanya 4265605 Tel: 054-497-8812 [email protected]

Treasurer Chanita Millman 15 Shachar St. Jerusalem 9626323 Tel: 02-653-6770 [email protected]

Membership Coordinator Susan Rosenberg 42/46a Leon Blum Haifa 3385209 Tel: 04-838-1218 [email protected]

Overseas Connections Coordinator Helen Bar-Lev 3 Hairus St. Metulla 1029200 Tel: 077-353-5548 [email protected]



VOLUNTEER NEEDED

PUBLISHING DESIGNER FOR ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY

Our esteemed Publisher for Voices Israel Group of Poets in English, Johnmichael Simon, is stepping down after devoting ten years to this important position. We will miss his wise counsel! Johnmichael has prepared a helpful brief and guidance notes for preparation of our annual Voices Anthology. It is available for interested applicants. (Johnmichael will still prepare our chapbooks.) Voices Israel needs the right person to take over the voluntary job of publishing designer for the annual Voices Israel anthology. The preparation of the Anthology usually takes place from June to September each year. Experience in IT and design skills needed. Please contact Susan Olsburgh for more details at [email protected] or call Susan on her mobile: 054-919-3575.

CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS REMINDER THE DERONDA REVIEW is looking for poems and short prose for an issue with a section on "Building." You may recall that last year their theme was Utopia. Other topics, especially seasonal poems, also welcome. Send up to five poems to [email protected], [email protected] or P.O.B. 6709 Efrat 90435, Israel. (In the November Voices newsletter there was information about a different contest following the call for submissions from Deronda Review. It appeared that the contest was somehow connected to Deronda Review. That is not the case – apologies all around!) Shulamit Bat Or, of our Southern group, is organizing a special poetry/prose event for International Women's Day in March 2020: Open Invitation! You are invited to submit original poems and prose pieces for a national gathering of women's poetry, to be held in Be’er Sheva. Date of Event: International Women’s Day, Sunday, March 8, 2020. Theme: "Women Write their Pain and Laughter," women of all ages write of all phases of their life cycle. Send poems of up to 30 lines, and prose pieces up to 300 words. Note: Original material only! Poems may be sent in any language but must include a Hebrew translation. Provide the names of the author and translator. Only those writers whose works have been selected will receive an email invitation to attend the event. Please feel free to share this announcement with all relevant writing groups and forums. Submit your pieces to the poet, Shulamit Bat Or, at [email protected] Certificates of appreciation will be awarded to three outstanding pieces, chosen by the event’s panel of judges. Let us celebrate our creativity on International Women’s Day.



From Helen Bar-Lev: check out information from Rattle regarding submissions to the chapbooks prize. Deadline January 15, 2020 https://www.rattle.com/chapbooks/prize/ From Helen Bar-Lev: 2019 Anna Davidson Rosenberg Poetry Award - Open for Submissions. Deadline January 15, 2020. See Poetica Publishing From Moizur Rehman Khan: I am delighted to inform you that we have extended the deadline for submission to Prosopisia Winter 2019 issue till 15th December 2019. You are welcome to submit your poems/ articles/ short stories and it would be a great favour if you could spread the word among the poets and writers all around the globe. P.S.: Those who have already sent their submission for the Winter issue need not submit again. Looking forward to hearing from you. Prosopisia Winter 2019 issue; see also ARAWLII Facebook page. From Helen Bar-Lev: The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award is an international literary prize that is a hotbed for new talent in Poetry and Short Fiction. Now in its 14th year, the Prize supports both emerging and established writers. By entering, writers can showcase their work to key industry figures and organisations including The Poetry Society, Granta, VINTAGE and more. Winners are selected for both categories and awarded with £1,000. Publication within the Aesthetica Creative Writing Anthology, is also awarded to a further 60 writers whose works are highly commended.Aesthetica is proud to champion new writing talent and supports its writing alumni beyond the Prize, offering print and digital publicity and continued exposure across our channels. Submissions open 1 December – deadline August 31, 2020. For Details and Guidelines click here

CONGRATULATIONS Belated Birthday Greetings!!! To our lovely poet from Haifa, Susan Rosenberg, who just celebrated her 95th Birthday. We wish you only good health and happiness for many more!! To Helen Bar-Lev and Katherine L. Gordon [this year’s Reuben Rose judge] whose poems were selected to celebrate the opening of the Official Peaceathon on the World Poetry Cafe. See the announcement and read their poems at World Poetry Peaceathon To Seymour Mayne, whose most recent book, Cusp: Word Sonnets, translated by Mikhail Rykov with an introduction by Natalia Vesselova, was recently published in Saint Petersburg, in a bilingual Russian edition, and is for sale at bookstores in the Russian Federation. This volume was originally released in English in 2014 by Ronald P. Frye & Company to mark fifty years since Mayne's first collection was published in Montreal. Cusp:Word Sonnets has also been published in French, Portuguese, and Spanish editions. Librarians and interested readers may order copies of the book direct from the publisher, Silver Age, either via regular or e-mail communication: Silver Age (Серебряный Век) Fontanka River Embankment, 34 Saint Petersburg, Russia 191014 E‐mail: [email protected] Price: $10.00 U.S. To Ezra Ben-Meir, whose poem Elections in Israel, was published in the November 22, 2019 issue of the Jerusalem Post Magazine.



CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT FROM REUVEN GOLFARB FORMAL ELEMENTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE POETRY The next class will meet on Wednesday, December 18th, from 5-7 pm, at Bayt Maor HaLev, 128 Keren HaYesod, Tzfat. The topic will be The Sonnet, Part 2. Please notify the instructor if you would like to join the group or if you would simply like more information. He will need to know how many copies of hand-outs to make and which people to supply with readings in advance. Contact Reuven at [email protected] or 04-697-4105.

REPEAT ANNOUNCEMENT – BAR SAGI YOUNG POETS’ PRIZE COMPETITION -- OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS UNTIL 15 JANUARY 2020

(This announcement was previously submitted by email to all Voices members.)

The Voices Israel group of Poets in English Announces the Bar Sagi Young Poets’ Prize Competition Please see our website to obtain complete information about this competition. Voices Website - Bar Sagi Prize Bar Sagi was a talented Israeli poet who died at the age of fifteen. In honor of this remarkable young girl’s courageous and vibrant life, her family have established a poetry competition for young Israeli poets: The Bar Sagi Young Poets’ Prize. Poems submitted must be in English, as Bar wrote her own poems in English. The competition is open to young Israeli poets aged 12 to 19. Poems can be submitted either as Word attachments or in the body of the email. Submissions will be accepted from November 15, 2019 until January 15, 2020. There is no entry fee. The address for submitting poems is: [email protected] For more information, contact Wendy Dickstein, administrator of the competition, at [email protected] Voices Israel is a fully accredited and approved organization registered since 1993 with the Israel Organizations Authority: number 580197036



VOICES ISRAEL 2019 ANTHOLOGY IS AVAILABLE

!! ORDER YOUR EXTRA COPIES NOW !!

Poetry from Israel & Abroad Vol. 45

VOICES ISRAEL 2019

All our paid-up members have their free copy of the 2019 Voices Anthology, Volume 45 currently in the post. If extra copies are wanted or if non-members would like a copy of this attractively presented anthology, then orders can be submitted, and payment is possible by banker’s draft or by cheque. Non-member charges are: NIS 50 (US dollars 25). Member charges are NIS 40 or 25 dollars. We prefer bank transfer, but payment can also be made by check. If paying by check, please make it out to Voices Israel and send it with your order request to our Treasurer: Chanita Millman, 15, Shachar St., Beit Hakerem, 9626323 Jerusalem, ISRAEL. If paying by bank transfer: our bank account information is: Bank Discount - bank No.11, Branch 159. Account Number: 6624199 in the name of Kolot Israel (our name in Hebrew: Kolot means Voices). Please be sure to let Chanita know that you have transferred the money so that she is able to assign the payment to the correct account. [email protected]



REMEMBERING After the passing of Nechama Rivlin, President Rivlin’s wife, Susan Olsburgh sent a letter of condolence to the President from the members of Voices Israel. I published a copy of Susan’s letter in the June 2019 newsletter. Here is a small excerpt:

“In the many well-deserved tributes paid to the much loved and respected First Lady our group has noted the great services that Nechama contributed to the world of poetry in Israel. “Although our group, founded in 1971, is dedicated to promoting the writing of poetry in English by members living in Israel and abroad, Nechama's own fine Hebrew poetry and her encouragement of poetry generally leaves a lasting legacy which we applaud and appreciate. “Our members trust that you and all the family members will gain much comfort from this aspect of Nechama's many achievements and we send sincerest good wishes for a Haim Aruchim to you all.”

In July 2019, we received a very nice letter from the President’s Office expressing the President’s appreciation for our condolences.



GROUP POETRY SELECTIONS

The blouse My right eye is no good for close work of any kind and needlework with only one eye is tricky so I decided to take the blouse I am embroidering into a dream and work on it there because in my dreams I can see perfectly. I sat working in the kitchen, much clearer, what a clever idea - but then my dead husband walked in from work and wanted his lunch. I told him I'm busy. "Come back later, when I'm finished then I can make you lunch," I said, "or take something yourself." Annoyed, he took a whole frozen chicken out of the freezer, a frying pan from the cupboard and told me he was going to divorce me. I didn't mind, because it was more important for me to finish embroidering the blouse. My neighbor's dog walked into the kitchen but this wasn't the kitchen in my house; workmen were busy knocking down a wall raising clouds of dust that jostled for place with fumes of burnt chicken. I shook the blouse to remove the dust, a movement that caught the dog's attention, a matador's cape inviting the bull. He dashed over, clamped his teeth onto the blouse and ran off with it. Angry and terribly upset I tried to shout and run after him, but the dream faded. Taking the blouse into a dream wasn't such a good idea after all. Rumi Morkin, Haifa selection

Where the Song Began In the beginning along the Jordan, progenitor of rivers, there was the kingfisher whose song trilled a turquoise melody as its notes floated down the Jordan a chorus of children plucked reeds from its shores and the recorder, first of all instruments, was born its melodies sweet like the waters of the Jordan, suspended in tension between lips and universe and music was formed bubbling from a blue beak through a reedy recorder through the mouths of children on the banks of the Jordan into the cosmos to a world, expectant and still today the kingfisher trills the recorder plays the willows blow a chorus sings the notes flow on, down the River Jordan © Helen Bar-Lev



IMPATIENT You were impatient With the computer That wouldn't do What you thought it should. With the sites That refused to remember Your password when you forgot. You were impatient With the bus that came late Or not at all so that You had to take another. With the taxi That couldn't find The address you didn't know. You were impatient When having to wait For your turn to use or say something. When being asked to baby sit While having other plans. In the end You were impatient to leave. Miriam Davis, Haifa selection

Disunity He was great and glorious, powerful and proud. No one dared defy him. Now he is ailing, wailing for another day. Ghastly dark grey, driven into a cranny, savaged by finny fiends who gnash and slash with piranha bite, he awaits the end. An angry child empties the aquarium. Thrashing fish, former king are devoured by ravenous predators. Roy Runds, Tel Aviv selection

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CLOUDBURST Scattering domestic compost on freshly-cut grass, the frugal farmer broods: to spray for optimum effect, though rain is forecast by evening, or to save each precious pearl? As he ponders the dilemma, the cloud above him bursts favouring the patch with its bounty. In the sparkling aftermath a dozen curly, red hibiscus blooms flutter to the lawn - celestial award. Kaila Shabat, Netanya/Sharon



Israel’s Foundation ‘Tis easier to destroy, but I’d rather build relationships through words remembering the good of others. We can join forces, hey you! Can you hear on the other side? to build a house. Yes! easier is to throw a brick or a stone and to shoot. While it takes guts to gather the burning sparks. You try to throw us out from the family of nations. Yet we are part and parcel of humanity in spite of your words. You have put your sentiments to sleep, when you throw rockets but we are alert and awake! We have built a country that you are bent on destroying. We won’t wait your permission to continue building. You have tried murder with the bear hug and we have proven we can bear war. Did you forget we offered you peace and even gave you cities, why oppress them and us? You spread lies with public relation stunts blaming us for all problems of the world. We will yet see countries coming to their senses and realize that it is better to solve actual problems. Nothing will come from your fake towers in the air, with bombs against civilians or with military campaigns. We have built a fence as a first line of defence and know that our foundation is stronger than yours. Hayim Abramson, Beit El

Milestones Rows of babies in the ward tagged in pink or blue, some are crying, some asleep I seek the face of my future. Youngsters dressed to graduate parade across the dais I fill with such relief and pride My child seeks my smiling eyes. Soldiers marching, right, left, right their uniforms neat and crisp I enjoy their energetic youth and adore my paratrooper. United stand two blessed lovers ‘neath wedding canopy and God my daughter and her soulmate begin their joint life’s path. Little boys in red and white bounce basketballs with glee racing up and down the court My grandson midst the maelstrom. The radiant face of my granddaughter beams down from atop the slide “Savta, Savta” - the call to catch her and that amazing laugh when I do. Ethelea Katzenell, Southern selection



Babel Stand on high Over Jerusalem. Feel the air vibrate. Choruses of supplicants Each in their own tongue A lowing of lingoes A clamor of complaints Competing for the Almighty’s attention. Does G-d ever regret That day He did His magic And created Multiple languages? Malijoy Livingstone Netanya/Sharon selection

Less Noise Hands, Victory over affliction Signing. Not a limited alternative But full cultural content Nimble fingers signing Facial expressions exploding With endless emotions. A room full of the deaf Is a room full of laughter And communication.

Breaking of teeth When my granny spoke I cringed. She wasn’t shy, my granny, so she spoke a lot, And I always cringed. I cringed because my granny came from Latvia And spoke funny, So that people sometimes laughed at her And said, “What was that, Mrs. Cohen?” I’m not shy either and I speak a lot, And when I open my mouth My children cringe. They cringe because I come from Scotland And my Hebrew is full of mistakes, And people sometimes laugh and ask “What was that you said, Mrs. Livingstone?” And I grin and repeat my blunders And remember my granny.

Your Strength The sky-blue sees your goodness because the world is round. From the tree of your ancestors Everything returns to its beginning. You are a strong wood oak on the way of God ...

Beit El Hayim Abramson,



POEMS FROM OUR OVERSEAS MEMBERS Toasting the unicorn (On discovering narwhal tusks, early explorers were convinced they’d found the habitat of the unicorn) On this arctic beach exuberance prevails: a numb-lipped midshipman cavorts waving first his bony sword overhead then hobbling in mimicry -a lame octogenarian with walking cane A sergeant-at-arms marches in erratic paths on a thin crust of snow over shale his pretend ivory firearm resting on shoulder in parade fashion Cook and cabin-boy fence awkwardly with fractured remnants and muffled “touchés” Narwhal tusks, here present an overwhelming novelty these twisted, plaited fused cords of enamel that never stopped growing Such oddities these elongated procumbent incisors off centre, and always the same tooth their raison d’être a mystery to even the best of biological speculators These seafaring explorers seeking relief from arctic tedium find reason for celebration in these fortuitous gentlemen’s walking sticks free for the taking on this remote strand toasting in course rum and moonshine once back on board, this first identification of the habitat of the elusive unicorn with mementos to prove it Don Mulcahey, Canada

Chanukah Approaching The ancient, joyous festival will be celebrated again this year Potato pancakes and sugary doughnuts will delight the palate Eight burning candles with a shames in the middle mark the victory of the Maccabees over their oppressor This year it comes on the same time as Christmas another sweet holiday But more people should give Chanukah a chance The beauty of the candles symbolize the beauty within of all who light the candles and remember, remember.... Matthew Anish, USA



Food for Thought We raise our glasses and make a toast

l’chaim, to life we chorus

then talk about the tragic death

of a young woman finally ensnared

by her own fragility.

We discuss the beauty of her funeral

the eulogies painfully delivered -

one focused on her love of family

and protecting nature and the bush

another on her love of food and wine

another on her belly-laughing humour

despite her rootless troubled youth.

I serve my dishes at the table -

the meat fragrant with Middle Eastern spices

the ratatouille glowing sun-kissed

and capsicum scented

the simplicity of white basmati rice.

As I savour the blend of flavours and colours

each one uplifting the whole

I recall the hues and textures of each of the eulogies,

how together they presented the composite richness

of a young woman I had never known.

Lilian Cohen, Melbourne

* * * * * * * * * ã Voices Israel Group of Poets in English

December 2019 Newsletter Contributions published in this Voices Israel newsletter and files linked to it, including in our workshop chapbooks, are the sole copyright of the contributors themselves. Any of the opinions in the content published in this newsletter are the sole opinions of the individual contributors and do not represent the views or opinions of Voices Israel Group of Poets in English.

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VOICES ISRAEL GROUP OF POETS IN ENGLISH · Submit your pieces to the poet, Shulamit Bat Or, at [email protected] ... We wish you only good health and happiness for many more!! To Helen