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The Writers’ Journal On-Line
For the Jewish Woman Reader and Writer

Issue Three: March 2009

Letter from the Editor

Dear All,

There is a lot of exciting news and information in The Writers’ Journal On-Line Issue Three.

Firstly, I am happy to tell you that The Writers’ Journal 2009 is now available for sale; it has been released five weeks earlier this year for your Pesach reading enjoyment (see purchase details below).

Those seeking scholarship to attend The Writers’ Journey Seminar 2009 on Tuesday 5th May should be in touch with me as soon as possible at lifework@012.net.il; scholarships this year will be given out on a first come first served basis. See information below about the one-day writer’s seminar in Jerusalem.

A special thank you to Miriam Aker for all her hard work in this issue; yasher koach for your inspiring and informative interviews.

This issue is brimming with variety. While our minds are busy over the coming weeks with Pesach preparation if you are looking for a little reading and writing respite why not dip in and out of this issue to enjoy any one of the short, informative and inspiring pieces? This on-line issue was created to remind you reading and writing are available and waiting for you when time is right. I recommend you keep the connection however small – a page a day of that book that you love to read or a journal jotting here and a scribble of a story idea there, all will keep you in touch with something you enjoy and gives chizuk.

Lastly, I am so happy to tell you some satisfying news. I am releasing my first book this coming May. The Map Seeker: One Woman’s Quest (Israel Bookshop Publications.) I thank every woman that has given me a bracha for hatzlachah over the nine years it has taken me to complete this memoir. For details about the book, pre-ordering and my May trip to US, Canada and England to give Meet the Author talks and writing workshops scroll down.  

Wishing you a much koach for your Pesach preparations - with a little reading and writing in-between for light relief and joy.  

Leah Kotkes
Jerusalem, Israel
www.lifework.co.il

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Issue Three: Contents

• Early release of The Writers’ Journal 2009; purchase details
• A Writers’ Life
• Notebook
• Books - My Inspiration
• Magazine News: Horizons goes monthly  
• A Writer’s Retreat
• Writer’s Reminder: The Annual Jerusalem Writers’ Journey Seminar Tuesday 5th May 2009
• News about Leah Kotkes’ New Book  
• The Writers’ Journal On-Line Author Interview: Mirish Kisner
• Book News from Menucha Chana Levin with Mini In-Focus Q & A with Author
• Forward Planning: Manuscript Development Course starting in May 2009  
• New Magazine seeks Writers
• Our Place: Services & Information

Submissions for The Writers’ Journal On-Line Issue Four should be emailed to lifework@012.net.il no later than 4th June. I welcome your creativity, stories, insights and news to share with readers and writers in this global Jewish women’s community.

News about The Writers’ Journal 2009

The Fifth Annual Writers’ Journal on Sale Now

This March sees the early release of The Writers’ Journal 2009 in time for pre-Pesach enjoyment. This year’s journal is inspiring as well as beautiful reading experience.

85 new, aspiring, experienced and popular writers are featured in this year’s journal which also includes a helpful section of writings on the topic of the writer’s life and the writing process.

For Jerusalem pick-up information and mail order overseas and within Israel contact Ricky Katz at rickyk@mosesnet.net.

Please note; participants of The Annual Writers’ Journey Seminar on Tuesday 5th May 2009 will receive their copy of the journal on the day of the seminar - rest assured your copies will be waiting for you on arrival. If you wish to enjoy your copy before this date please arrange collection from Mrs. Katz. Writers’ Journey Seminar journals will not be mailed to seminar participants unless participants carry the cost of post & package. 

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A Writer’s Life

Why I Write? by Oritte Rudski

Orite Rudski lives in Montreal, Canada. She is a wife, mother and grandmother, who runs an after-school Kumon math and reading education centre. She enjoys studying Chassidus, baking challos with her granddaughter, swimming, knitting, reading, and creative writing.

Notebook

City Tree by Baila Markovits

I live in Brooklyn, NY; a metropolitan area. Yet Hashem with His benevolence placed a tree right outside my bedroom window; the tall proud trunk almost reaches my sixth floor apartment. It is firmly rooted on a hectic busy expressway. Today, its outstretched branches are resplendent with snow white glistering diamonds. How beautiful a bare tree can become with a powdering of snow flakes.

Come spring, surreptitiously little buds will sprout. They’ll turn a light shade of pink and before you know it, the once bare tree will be gloriously dressed in pink white and green blossoms.

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Kangaroos in the Backyard by Sori Block

When I went on schidduchim with my husband he told me he would like to live in – AUSTRALIA! I laughed. I had never been - all I heard was that there were kangaroos jumping around. Being young, idealistic and Lubavitch - I agreed.

I was expecting a hick-town with lots of hopping kangaroos, maybe a village store and a well for water. Thank G-d I was wrong. Melbourne, Australia is a real city with kosher stores. We drive cars on roads; dirt roads in the countryside. If I want to see a kangaroo I must go to the zoo or I can just step out into our backyard.

I have been in Australia for 18 years. The community has grown, we now have our own cottage cheese, but we still have a long way to go on many products and services. To get to New York, London or Jerusalem takes at least 20 odd hours but I don’t mind - that’s Golus - hopefully soon we’ll all be living in Eretz Israel.

Sori was born in Denmark. She has lived in several countries in Europe; Holland, Italy and London. She studied at seminary in Eretz Yisrael, then went to Montreal. Later she moved to New York where she took a sheitel-macher course. The day the course finished she started schidduchim with her husband. Currently, she lives in Australia with her husband and 4 children. She is a wife, mother, sheithel-macher and an aspiring writer. And her heart is in Eretz Yisrael.

Books - My Inspiration

My Personal Bookshelf by Toby Vogel

Books are my inspiration. I have a stack on my nightstand to match every type of mood. When I am calm enough to focus on technical professional jargon, I immerse myself in research studies.

When my soul needs soothing, I read inspirational literature.

When I feel restless and jittery a simple self-help book focuses my mind for just a little while before my eyelids become heavy with sleep.

Someday, I hope to learn how to read souls; appreciate each individual with their varied and interesting chapters.

Toby Vogel MHC originally from Monsey, New York, is a therapist and writer residing with her family in Yerushalyim. In addition to her private practice and freelance writing, she coordinates the Dr. Schwartzbaum Memorial Library; a professional mental health library at the Family Institute of Neve Yerushalyim. She can be reached at tobyvogelmhc@gmail.com.

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Magazine Profile

Miriam Aker talks to Horizon’s Editor Suri Brand

All those out there who dote on the written word, gulping down new books warm off the press and hanker for more - I know that feeling because I’m one of them. Horizons – that page-turner that gets you both crying and laughing from its true-to-life articles, which are so real they leave you wondering if someone has been peeking over your shoulders into your kitchen - no longer do you have to sigh at the last page, knowing that you’ll have about four months wait for the next issue. Horizons is now a monthly.

“We wanted to offer readers more Horizons, more often,” says Suri Brand – Horizon’s editor. “For years we’ve been asked to put Horizons out more frequently. Targum’s new CEO, Aryeh Mahr, said, ‘Let’s just do it. Why not?’ So we did.”

In what way is Horizons different from other magazines?

Suri: Horizons is a magazine for people who love to read. That means we want to offer quality reading first and foremost. And it’s timeless. Unlike a news magazine, readers can pick up Horizons next year or in five years and still find it relevant to them. And they do. We also aim for a diverse audience. This is a magazine for every Orthodox Jew – whether in Williamsburg, New York, or San Rafael, California.

What sort of articles are you looking for and what is the goal of your editorial?

Suri: Horizons is about sharing yourself and your experiences with others – whether funny or sad or inspiring, whether it’s about an amazing triumph or even something as mundane as laundry. I aim to do the same with the editorial. Reading someone’s story about a difficult experience let’s you know, “I’ve been there. It’s going to be okay. I know what you’re going through.” Humor is also a great way to share. People need to be able to laugh at themselves, to know, “Hey, I’m human – these things happen to everyone.” And there’s nothing more inspiring than reading about someone who has faced adversity and overcome it.

How many years ago was Horizons established?

Suri: Horizons was started the same year I joined Targum Press – over 15 years ago, in 1994. It was the first popular magazine for the Orthodox audience. Horizons’ creators  – Mimi Zakon and Libby Lazewnik – were pioneers in their day, who dared to do new things when Jewish publishing was still in its infancy.

How have you seen Horizons evolve over the years?

Suri: We have updated our columns and features, of course. Our special living section, which we created three years ago, was created specifically for teens and 20-somethings (though older readers tell us they enjoy it too). We switched to full color graphics, which has given Horizons more of a “magazine” feel than the “book” feel that it started with. Today’s readers want real issues. We added a special feature to address some of today’s issues from different perspectives. We’ve also seen dramatic changes in our writers’ pool. It’s both harder and easier now. Harder, because there’s some fierce competition out there now, both for good readers and writers. Easier, though, because there are so many more writers than there were at the beginning. Still – at its core Horizons is still the classic formula that people have always loved and we want that essence to remain strong.

What do your readers say about Horizons? How has their opinion helped shape the new monthly?

Suri: The general feeling is excitement – readers have been clamoring for more Horizons more often and they love it that they can get it every month now, and it’s cheaper too! Readers tell me they read it cover to cover – you can’t get better than that! I’m constantly talking to people about what they do and don’t like. We’ve also done surveys in the last few years which have given us a sense of what readers like. We can’t be everything for everyone – but I have made changes based on feedback. I think now some readers are watching to see where we are going with our New Horizons – they want to know that the things they love will still be there. (Yes they will.)

Any surprises brewing on the horizons for Horizons readers?

Suri: Yes, we have some waiting in our back pocket. You’ll just have to wait and see!

Thank you Suri for allowing us a glimpse into the makings of Horizons. May Horizons continue being the great magazine that it is.

Suri Brand has been working in the field of publishing since she joined Targum Press in 1994. She has also worked for Feldheim, Hamodia, and freelance. In 2006 she became editor-in-chief of Horizons magazine. She shares her time between Horizons and various book projects. You can contact her at Horizons@targum.com.

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A Writer’s Retreat

Safe Places to Write by Chava Dumas

Twenty two  years ago, as a newly arrived immigrant, when I was no longer able to find daily opportunities to write extensively in my journal, I confided this sad frustration with time restraints to Dr.Asenath Petrie, the  beloved Jerusalem poet who I worked for. She advised me to “take notes”- little shorthand reminders of the main events, reflections or thoughts that occurred throughout the busy day. . .

Thus began the habit of jotting down descriptive phrases such as “The Broccoli Dilemma,” “The Rescued Potted Plant,” or “Tzedeka Earrings.” If there was a little more time, a few sentences would accompany these potential essay titles. As scraps of paper accumulated I gathered them in a folder for future reference.

I felt so privileged to live in the Holy city, so enchanted with the sanctity of Yerushalayim that it hardly seemed befitting to mention to anyone that I sometimes missed living close to the soothing, rejuvenating ocean. During my years of spiritual searching I had had many prayerful conversations with my Creator beside the sea, now I was a land-locked fish drinking from a spiritual source of water, without benefit of seeing the physical one.

It was Rabbi Zelig Pliskin shlita who wisely told me that I can close my eyes whenever I want, and imagine every detail that I miss so keenly: the calming repetitive sound of the waves, the soaring gulls calling, the wind carrying the fragrant scents of salty fish and washed ashore seaweed, the dazzling spectrum of brilliant multi-shaped shells, the setting sun reflecting off the water like bright diamond chips. Rabbi Pliskin taught me through “imaging” we can access an inner state of well-being whenever we want, and actually recreate the physical bodily responses of total relaxation and peace that is elicited whenever we are in our favorite safe places. 

Thus it was that the combined sage advice of Dr. Asenath Petrie and Rabbi Zelig Pliskin has formed the basis of my ability to “find time away from it all” without going anywhere in particular. Memories could be recalled in vivid clarity of detail: sensations, smells, conversations, thoughts—it’s all within me. If I did not yet have my own private, quiet study to “get away from it all,” writing what was most important to me could be on a bus, in a garden, on a park bench. 

I asked Hashem to help me notice the time I did have—the unbidden moments that can be snatched to scribble down a poem or the beginning of an article, just after the children left for school, breaks between work or on my way to do errands.  I made sure to be prepared, always carrying with me a pen and pad of paper.

In the last ten years, with our children older and more independent, Baruch Hashem, I can now block large quantities of time every week for developing the notes, the leading lines I collected over all these years.

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Writer’s Reminder

Something special to look forward to after Pesach
Treat yourself to a day of
writing insight, instruction and inspiration

One-day writing seminar in Jerusalem
for Jewish women
Practical workshops, writing sessions and discussions
to enhance both personal and professional writing
For aspiring and experienced writers and
women working in the publishing world

With a bracha for hatzlachah from
Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz,
The Bostoner Rebbe shlita 

Please note this year all workshops include writing time and sharing of readings.

The Day’s Schedule:

8.15 am		Registration and refreshments on the veranda
9.00 am		Welcome & warm-up exercise with Leah Kotkes
9. 30 am		Gila Green: The Taboos of Telling; the Sins of Silence
10.20 am		Leah Kotkes: You are The Storyteller
11.10 am		Sarah Shapiro: Writing Dialogue
12 noon		Simultaneous 50 minute workshops/private one-on-one sessions: Yaffa Ganz: Finding Your Own Voice. Every writer “sounds” different. Each creates her own music through a delicate blend of talent, ego, halachah and her own inner world. How do we find our own voice? Bassi Gruen & Yael Mermelstein:  Building Powerful Plots: Tools and Tips Shifra Devorah Witt: The Courage to Tell Your Story. Private one-on-one sessions with: Mimi Zakon, Artscroll Esther Heller, Targum Press taking appointments until 4 pm Aviva Rappaport, Jerusalem Publications Sarah Shapiro, Author taking appointments until 4 pm Gila Green, Writer, Editor, Writing Teacher and Mentor specialist in fiction and memoir taking appointments until 4 pm
1 pm		Dairy Lunch
2.30 pm		Esther Heller at Targum Press
3.30 pm		Tamar Ansh on Publishing with Q & A
4.30 pm		Round the table readings/questions: Leah Kotkes.
By 5.30 pm		Seminar Closes

For details and registration contact:

Michelle Borinstein, reservations assistant at
mbmb613@gmail.com
or
lifework@012.net.il for registration and scholarships of up to 10%.

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News about Leah Kotkes’ New Book
For distribution to friends and fellow writers.

Meet Leah Kotkes, author, writing teacher and features editor at Binah Magazine.

Locations: Lakewood, New York area, Toronto, Montreal, Manchester and London

Topics:  Author Talks, Writing Workshops and Private Appointments.

When? Thursday 7th – Monday 25th May 2009

And introducing Leah Kotkes’ debut book The Map Seeker: One Woman’s Quest (Israel Bookshop Publications): A truly woman’s memoir that is by turns unexpected, deeply personal, heartbreaking and joyous, but only when it is not all of these things at once.

For book orders contact: Moshe Kaufman Israel Bookshop Publications, (732) 901-3009, info@israelbookshoppublications.com view website at www.israelbookshoppublications.com

For Leah Kotkes’ tour schedule, to book her for a talk, workshop or appointment contact
Tehillah Hessler at tehillah@hessler.co.il
Or
Leah Kotkes direct
at lifework@012.net.il or phone ++972 2 6514 266
Website: www.lifework.co.il

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The Writer’s Journal On-line Interview

Miriam Aker talks to Author and Counselor Mirish Kiszner

Mirish Kiszner’s second book – Extraordinary Stories about Ordinary People – Artscroll, was published this past summer. I’m reminded of sunbeams washing over a fragrant, soft rose, each time I talk to Mirish; her velvety voice and sweet, dignified smile radiates warmth. In her ‘Dear Libby’ columns in Mishpacha Junior, with her kind, non-critical but firm manner, Mirish has that extraordinary power of empowering the reader’s belief in his/her ability to tackle a challenge and succeed.

Did you write when you were a child?

Mirish: Yes, mainly school assignments: keeping a journal, personal essays, and creative writing. I think the seed was sown when my mother would ask me to read my compositions to her and she would listen attentively and compliment my writing. In addition, my teacher, Mrs. Kviat would painstakingly write a lengthy review on each and every writing assignment that she gave us. She was a great teacher and although she guided us in improving our writing skills, she was very adept at highlighting the positive aspects of what we’d written. I really owe my writing abilities to my mother and my teacher. Many years later, when I immigrated to Eretz Yisrael from Montreal, memories of both my mother’s and teacher’s encouragement resurfaced and gave me the push to start writing.

How many years have you been writing and publishing your work?

Mirish: Seven years.

Were you hesitant at first about submitting your writing for publishing?

Mirish: Yes, I’m quite shy by nature. Submitting work anonymously via e-mail therefore appealed to me a lot. Using a penname also helped.

How did you feel when your first article was published? Did it encourage you to continue writing?

Mirish: Surprised. My first article that I submitted was a tentative first try. The editor’s response was what encouraged me to continue writing. She said, “As a writer you surely have more pieces that you’ve written. Can you please send me all your stuff?” I was dumbfounded. The truth is, after school I’d never written anything but school lessons and test papers I prepared as a teacher for high school girls. But I thought to myself, okay, so I’ll create stuff.

For which publications do you write?

Mirish: Right now I write for Mishpacha and Chabad.org.

Do you ever use a pseudonym?

Mirish: Yes. After my first few articles appeared with a pseudonym, my family encouraged/insisted that I use my real name. At that time I discussed my dilemma with a rebbetzin I know, and asked her what she felt was right. She told me that for the sake of emes I should use my real name. It’s more emes’dig for a writer to stand behind her words than hide behind a penname. Incidentally, Libby is my first name, and hence the column Dear Libby.

What else do you work in besides writing?

Mirish: Actually, I’m raising a family. Writing is my outlet.

Your 'Dear Libby' column is very inspiring. Did you take a course in counseling to enable you to take up this column?

Mirish: I’ve taken courses, and when the editor of Mishpacha Junior called to offer me this job I figured that if Hashem sent it my way, He’ll help me with it.

Where do you get inspiration for your excellent answers?

Mirish: I look to Hashem. I ask for s’yatte dishmaya.

What do you do if you are uncertain on how to answer a question?

Mirish: I ask. Ironically, even though I’m shy by nature, I’ve never been shy to ask questions. If a complicated question arises I consult a professional in that particular area.

Do you ever receive questions on sensitive topics? Have you had to consult a Rav on how to answer?

Mirish: Yes, I do. Sometimes I answer a sensitive letter cryptically in the column, and occasionally if the writer includes her e-mail address, I e-mail an answer to her directly. There were two occasions when I consulted a Rav.

What topics have you found, children ask the most about?  Would you say children of today have specific problems, or is it stuff kids have always been dealing with?

Mirish: Common questions include friendship issues, fears, sleep difficulties and sibling rivalry. In the same way that adults grapple with different issues today, than in generations past, children also do. This is normal. For instance, ours is not an age where we have to focus with every fiber of our beings, on making sure we have bread on the table like our grandparents had to. Also children in the past had to work a lot harder and that gave them tremendous satisfaction and a strong sense of self. In school too, there were smaller classes, so each child felt valuable and special. Nowadays, children, especially the quieter ones, can easily get lost in a large school.

Do you ever receive comments from parents? Have you had parents oppose any of your answers?

Mirish: Sometimes. Once I received a letter from a woman who wanted to know if I work for an agency and if I could help her 14 year old daughter who suffered from social problems. I referred her to a professional in her locale. The letters I received from mothers were positive. Another time, after my tips on dealing with trichotillomania (hair pulling) was published, a mother responded that her daughter was struggling with that same issue and she found the answer in ‘Dear Libby’ to be understanding, supportive, and helpful. She added that she was amazed to discover that there are millions out there with the same problem. Letters like that are very encouraging.

How much time do you spend on writing?

Mirish: Writing is something I enjoy. I don’t count the hours I write. Whenever I find a spare hour, my first choice is to use it for writing.

How do you juggle being a mother of young children and writing?

Mirish: It’s a challenge. I can get so wrapped up in my writing, the whole world fades away. Once, I got so absorbed while writing a story about Shabbos, that when the phone rang I felt alarmed - the phone ringing on Shabbos?! Never mind that I was typing and sitting face to face with a computer and not the Shabbos candles. It is a struggle to close the computer when the kids come home. On the other hand, writing is very stimulating and prevents a feeling of boredom from routine household chores from setting in. Writing fills me with satisfaction and a happy mother makes for happy kids. My children are involved in everything I do, so they feel a part of it all. Also, dealing with the questions in the ‘Dear Libby’ column prepares me for questions posed by my own kids. Not too long ago, one of my sons, trying to wheedle the snack “Doritos charif esh” out of me, approached me in all seriousness. “I have a Dear Libby question,” he said. I was tickled by his creative approach to get what he wanted.

Regarding past writing workshops that you held: How did you conduct them and what was your goal there? How did you strengthen those attending to believe in their potential and have confidence in their writing?

Mirish: Connecting with people gives me joy. Writing is a way of connecting. Leading a writing workshop is another way. The writing workshops I led were for a group of ladies who wished to use their writing as a tool for personal development. We combined topics such as goal setting, mission statements, and dilemma dispellers with creativity, so it was a writing workshop of a different style.

I think that confidence has to come from within; nobody can give that to you. No matter how many compliments you get, you as the writer must be able to absorb those compliments. That’s why it’s important to believe in yourself first. Attending a writing workshop motivates you to write and the more you write the more confidence you gain. Sarah Shapiro taught me that we all have our unique voice and style. I think that acknowledging our unique G-d given voice and style, appreciating it and cherishing it, is the task of every writer.

What sort of articles/stories do you like to read? What sort of reading do you find, boosts your writing?

Mirish: In the same way that a heartfelt song uplifts you and a pretty flower touches you, reading good writing is also inspirational. Since I write short stories, I like to read short stories. I also enjoy books on parenting, education and psychology.

Can you tell us of any courses, lessons, tips, ideas which helped you along your writing journey?

Mirish: I think that the more you write the more you learn to write. Courses, lessons, tips are all very interesting, informative, exciting, and – to some extent distracting. To be a writer you have to write. Having a balance between learning and writing is important.

Are all the stories in your new book – Extraordinary Stories about Ordinary people - true to life?

Mirish: All the stories are true; however some character names and locations were changed to protect the privacy of those concerned, and some details were added to enhance the impact of the message.

How did you feel when your first book - Dear Libby - was published? What made you decide to turn the questions from your column into a book? 

Mirish: Since it was just a collection of work I had previously done in my column, it wasn’t the same feeling that results at the culmination of a project you’ve worked on step by step. But it was a very good experience and showed me the ropes of publishing. As to what made me decide to turn the questions of my column into a book, it was the publisher’s encouragement and a hefty dose of hashgacha pratis. The day I arrived with my manuscript of short stories was the day the publisher received a copy of the then newly published Dear Rabbi Dear Doctor - a collection of questions and answers for adults by Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski.

What message do you have for new and older writers?

Mirish: When writing your first draft, it’s important to separate the creator and editor within you, so that the creator has free space to breathe, explore, and express. Later, your no-nonsense mind, or your inner editor can get to work rewriting and cutting and rewriting again.

On a different note, the renowned writer Sudy Rosengarten, once mentioned to me that printing everything you write, collecting them in a binder and then watching the binder grow thicker and heavier is a great motivator. I think that’s great advice.

Thank you Mirish for your inspiring and encouraging answers. May your writing journey always be smooth and successful.

Mirish Kiszner is the author of Dear Libby - a compilation of questions and responses for kids about real life matters culled from her column in Mishpacha Junior. Reading about issues kids grapple with stimulates parent-child discussions and helps kids identify with other kids. She is also a regular contributor to Help! I've got Kids... a parenting blog on Chabad.org. Her latest book is Extraordinary Stories about Ordinary People (Artscroll), a collection of true stories about real people.

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Book News

The Youngest Bride by Menucha Chana Levin (Israel Bookshop Publications) is a novel based on facts from my own family history. I grew up hearing the story of my great-great-grandmother who was married as a little girl to a boy not much older than herself, in order to save him from the Russian army, as married men and boys were exempt from becoming Cantonist soldiers. According to family legend, my little ancestor fell asleep in her father’s arms under the chuppah, thus missing her entire wedding. The next day when a little cap was put on her head since she was now married, she took it off and made mud-pies in it! 

In one version of the story, my little ancestor was only five years old at the time of her wedding. In another version, she was eight. However, for the purposes of my novel, I changed her age to twelve. But the ‘five-year-old’ version was too endearing to discard altogether so I included it as the story of another little girl.  

I was always fascinated by the story and wondered what was it like for her to grow up knowing that she was already married. Did she regret not having a real wedding celebration? How did she and her young husband feel towards each other when she turned eighteen and they began their actual married life together? Unfortunately, family history did not include those crucial details so I had to conjecture them myself. I also did a great deal of historical research on life in the 19th century Lithuanian shtetl and details on the Cantonist era.

Other family stories, some true, others adapted, were included as well. Finally, after many years of trying to find the right shidduch (publisher) for The Youngest Bride,   Israel Bookshop Publications turned out to be her beshert!

Excerpt from The Youngest Bride

The house was in the same state of pre-Pesach chaos in which Raizel had left it earlier that afternoon. Like most of the homes in the village, it consisted of one main room that served as both a dining area and kitchen. The children slept in curtained-off alcoves, while Mamme and Tatte had a tiny adjoining bedroom of their own.

Most of the furniture was still pushed up against one wall, and the chairs were stacked beside them. But the floor had been scrubbed, and a clean tablecloth was spread over the big, old wooden table.

Mamme gave Laykie and Hodeleh each a boiled potato to eat and shooed them outside into the backyard. She pulled three chairs over to the table and motioned for Raizel to sit down. Mystified, she waited for her parents to speak.

Tatte cleared his throat and rubbed his large, strong hands together.

“You already know, Raizel, about these terrible Cantonist laws that force our young boys into the Czar’s cursed army. For six years the poor boys have to serve in a special camp - a canton - where they are starved and cruelly beaten. The Russians really do their best to turn them into goyim.” Tatte sighed, shook his head and then continued.

“Those who do survive are forced to serve another brutal twenty-five years in the army, before they’re allowed to come home again. That’s why we sent Berik to live with our cousins in Latvia where, baruch Hashem, the Czar’s laws don’t apply. Other parents try to bribe officials or doctors to say their boys aren’t fit to serve. Still others even have their sons’ fingers or toes amputated, nebach, so they’ll be excused from army service. But a few days ago, Reb Shimon told me he heard of a better way to stay out of the army. Apparently the Russians take only single men, not married ones, and they don’t seem to care how young the boys are as long as they can prove they’re married. So the Applebaums came here today to discuss this with us.” 

“But why did they come to us?” Raizel asked, puzzled. “How can we help them?”

Tatte paused for a moment. “Raizel, they came here to ask if you would consider marrying their son.”

“He’s their only son, he’s thirteen and he was Berik’s friend,” Mamme added. “He’s a nice-looking boy, Raizel, intelligent and well-mannered. I remember when he used to come over here to visit Berik. He was always polite to your father and me, always said hello and good-bye.”

“Well, nu, Raizeleh, so what do you think?” her father asked.

Raizel looked at her parents’ faces, unable to believe what she had just heard. Fear and confusion made her choke on her words.

“They want me to … marry their son?” she finally managed to ask. “But I’m only twelve years old, Tatte. I’m not ready to get married yet!”

“Well, of course not, Raizeleh, we all know that. For now it would be a marriage in name only, not a real marriage. They just need the certificate to prove that their son is a married man so he won’t be forced to join the army.”

“You mean after the wedding I’ll just come back home? I won’t have to go live in the Applebaums’ house? Or will he come here to live with us?” Raizel’s questions tumbled out breathlessly.

“No, zeeskeit.  This will still be your home for many years,” Mamme reassured her. “And the boy is going away to yeshivah in Vilna. Only when you turn eighteen like your sisters did, will you move to your own home with him.”

Raizel cupped her face in her hands, sitting in stunned silence for several moments.

“I’m so confused, I don’t know what to do,” she whispered raggedly.

“It’s a big mitzvah,” Mamme explained. “In a way, you’ll be saving his life, because who knows what would happen to him in the army? Look at my poor cousin Dovid'l, Uncle Misha’s only son, taken away at the age of nine and never seen nor heard from again, nebach.” She sighed deeply.

Her father cleared his throat. “And there are also other, practical matters to consider, Raizel. We aren’t a wealthy family and can’t offer large dowries. You know how difficult it was for us to find suitable husbands for your older sisters. Rochel is married to a nice kind fellow but still Leib Hirsh is a poor shoemaker and they live in a tumbledown shack with hardly two kopeks to rub together. Shaina’s better off, at least financially, but she had to marry a widower with five young children and move far away to his shtetl south of Vilna.”

Tatte paused to gauge Raizel’s reaction. She was looking down and nervously twisting her hands in her lap.

“But your situation can be different. Reb Shimon and his wife are very nice people, fairly well-off, and they didn’t mention a word about a dowry. And when you turn eighteen we won’t have the worry of trying to find a shidduch for you then. And the boy’s learning in a yeshivah, Raizeleh. Just think what a great honor that would be to our family.”

“But why me, of all girls?” she asked, puzzled.

“Well, I’ve known Reb Shimon for years, davening Shacharis together every morning. He knows that I have a daughter the right age for his son. Your older sisters are already married, so there is no problem of a younger sister marrying before an older one. And apparently the boy remembered you from when he used to come here to visit Berik.”

“He did?  I didn’t think he even noticed me,” Raizel murmured in surprise. 

“Well, obviously you made an impression. So, nu, what do you say? Do you agree?” her father asked eagerly.

Raizel hesitated. “Could I think about it … just a bit longer, Tatte?” she pleaded.

“Fine, but I told Reb Shimon he’ll have my answer in the morning.”

“I’ll give you my answer in the morning,” she agreed.

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Interview in Focus

Born in South Africa Menucha Chana Levin grew up in small towns in Canada where her father zt'l was a rabbi. She married a New Yorker and made aliyah with her family in 1991. Though writing since the age of six, Menucha Chana started getting published only after attending a women’s writing group in Jerusalem. Says Menucha Chana: “Living here inspires my writing.” Chana’s writings have appeared in Yated Ne’eman, Horizons, The Jewish Observer and in anthologies People Like Us and Heartbeats. Her first published novel The Youngest Bride was released December, 2008.

How did you go about planning your first book?

I had always been fascinated by the idea of my child bride ancestor. One evening, while waiting for a delayed bus, the story suddenly came to me, insisting on being written. By the time I reached home an hour later, the basic plot and characters had been worked out in my mind.

How did you prepare yourself for the genre of historical fiction?

I read several books about the 19th Century shtetl and did research on-line about life in Lithuania during that period. It’s amazing how much information is out there. In one Jewish genealogy site, I found the names of all the families in my ancestors’ village of Ponedel in 1847. 

Did you seek advice through the writing process and what was the best advice someone gave you?

I asked a friend, also a writer and editor, for her advice and suggestions. She liked the book very much but felt the first chapter was too long and static, so I shortened it and included some of the material in the second chapter. Another editor commented that the heroine was too much like a “ray of sunshine” throughout the novel. I utilized her criticism, having the heroine lose her temper and her father commenting that usually she was “a ray of sunshine.” She replies, “Right now I feel more like a thundercloud,” thus showing another side to her character. 

My then 12 year old daughter also kept encouraging me. Every night I would read her what I’d written on the computer. Her feedback and suggestions were wonderful. I might not have finished the novel if not for her on-going support.  

What challenges did you face with writing a novel?

Finding the time to write a 250 page novel was definitely a challenge. I was working as a nursery school teacher at the time and though I enjoyed my little charges, I came home tired every day. It was not easy to write in the evenings. Then, hashgacha pratis, I caught hepatitis and the doctor told me I could not work for six weeks. As soon as I got over the shock, my next thought was, “Now I can finish my book.”

It still was not easy, as I was recuperating from the illness, but I did have uninterrupted time to write.  

What advice would you give to a writer who would like to take up the ambition of writing their first work of fiction?

Get a mentor, join a writing group, you need support and feedback from others in order to do this. It won’t be easy - you must write, re-write, edit and then write more.

At some point you may be tired of it all. It is not always easy to find the right publisher either – it’s like making a shidduch!  But when you finally see your work as a published book, it is all worth it. Whenever I look at books in a library, I think about how much time and effort every author invested in each one.

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 Forward Planning: Manuscript Development Course Opportunity 

 Spring Writer’s Workshop

Your stories are powerful. Why not fashion them into a meaningful memoir or work them into your fiction? Internationally published writer Gila Green will be offering an advanced workshop for committed writers with a view to publication. We will be exploring a variety of writing genres. Classes will include shared readings from selected works as well as peer and instructor critiques. Writers will be encouraged to hone their editing and revision skills.  Please see Gila's blog for more about her publications:  http://gilatal.blogspot.com

Location: Har Nof, Jerusalem.  If there is demand I will open up an evening/morning group in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

Days: Every second Monday morning beginning May 11 (exact times TBA)

Duration: This workshop is for women writers who want to work towards a completed manuscript (novel, short story/ short story collection, memoir) with a view to publication. The commitment is a minimum of four months and the group will be ongoing.

Cost: 250 NIS/month. Cost does not include photocopies of your own works for the group.

A minimum number of participants is required for the course to go ahead and continue.

Contact: Gila Green, Email: greens@netvision.net.il or call 02-999-9717 (mornings or after 9 pm)

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New Magazine Seeks Writers

Name: Nachas

Magazine Profile: new magazine launching this March 2009 seeking articles about babies (infants) sleeping and health. The readers will be new mothers so they want articles on how to cope after the birth, how to manage mood issues as well as inspiring and informative features on the topic of simchas - bris, kiddush etc.

Distribution: early days in the Greater New York Area and New Jersey. The goal is to distribute in the US and overseas.

No-no Topics: they will not be covering: miscarriage, pregnancy issues.

Contact Sury for more details at Phone: 718.812.4386. Email: newmothermagazine@gmail.com

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