“Kisufim” – The International Festival of Jewish Writers and Poets.

“Kisufim” – The International Festival of Jewish Writers and Poets.

The Third Kisufim Festival in Mishkenot Sha’ananim Jerusalem will take place on February 5-8, 2013.

This Year’s Festival topic is: Language and Memory.

Writers, poets, philosophers, translators, scholars and students will participate in events throughout the Festival.

Evenings of prose and poetry readings, workshops and get-togethers with poets and writers who work in different languages, as well as meetings between writers and poets from Israel and abroad who write in mutual languages such as Russian, English, French, Hungarian, Serbian and Spanish will take place throughout the Festival. Among the musical and artistic events that will take place, will be a meeting between poet Miron Izakson and musician Micah Shitrit, and an evening with Chanan Yovel on the connection between prayer and Hebrew poetry.

Among the writers and poets who have confirmed their participation:

Nathan Englander (USA): Born in 1970 and grew up in an orthodox Jewish environment in New York. Englander is a graduate of the Writers Workshop in the University of Iowa. He lived in Jerusalem for a number of years where he wrote parts of his book ‘The Gilgul of Park Avenue” published by Oved Press in 2003. This book awarded him the Pen/Faulkner Malamud Award in 2000. His novel “The Ministry of Special Cases” was jointly published by Keter and Matar Publishing. A collection of his stories “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank”, will soon be published also jointly by Keter and Matar. The book was awarded the prestigious Frank O’Conner Award for short stories. Englander was selected by the “New Yorker” Magazine as one of the twenty best young authors in the United States. He translated Etger Keret’s latest book. Nathan Englander will also be joining us for the 2013 International Writers Festival.
Bernard-Henri Lévy (France): Writer, journalist and French philosopher, born in Algeria in 1948. Among the founders of the “New Philosophers” Movement (1970), a movement that fought against socialism and opposed the teachings of Sartre, Nietzsche and Heidegger. Its members included André Glucksmann, Alain Finkielkraut, Pascal Bruckner, Claude Gandelman and others were amongst the first who opposed the war in Bosnia in 1990 and acted against the concentration camps that were established there. Lévy claimed that the Jewish experience forbids us from remaining quiet in the face of any mass murder. Together with his philosophical writings, Lévy also writes fiction and works in film. Many of his articles have been translated into Hebrew, among his translated books are: “Who Killed Daniel Pearl?”
Robert Pinsky (USA): Born in New Jersey in 1940, Pinsky is a poet, translator and a Jewish-American editor. He studied Judaism and Hebrew in Jewish schools. Pinsky has a Masters and Doctorate from StanfordUniversity, he translated Czeslaw Milosz’s poetry and Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno” into English and received a number of awards for his translation. He was twice named Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress during the years 1997 and 1974. He teaches creative writing at BostonUniversity. To date he has published nine poetry collections and five books of essays on poetry. Recently his “Selected Poems” was published (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011) from among them some poems have been translated into a small book by Hava Pinhas-Cohen and Michael Kramer to be published in anticipation of the Festival.
Mario Levi (Turkey): Born in Istanbul in 1957, Levi is a leading writer and journalist in Turkish. He has published a family novel “Istanbul Was a Fairy Tale” (Kalem Edition) the story of a Jewish family in Istanbul from the twenties to the early eighties. Through the story of this family he sheds light on the lives of minority groups in modern Turkey. Levi is a lecturer in YeditepeUniversity, a literary critique and radio personality. His most recent novel “My Istanbul Photographs” was published in 2010. He is presently at work on a novel in Ladino.
Yaniv Hagbi (Holland/Israel): Born in Israel, Yaniv Hagbi teaches at AmsterdamUniversity. His research “Ode to Absolute Nothingness” (2002) discusses Georges Perec and Shai Agnon’s attitude towards language. His book “Language, Absence, Play” (Carmel 2007) describes the connection between Judaism and super structuralism. “The Yemenite Guide for the Writing of Legends” was published by Babel Publications in 2007.
Marcia Falk (USA): Poet and painter Marcia Falk lives in California and translates poetry from Hebrew to English. In “The Book of Blessings” Falk creates an alternative Mahzor (Prayer Book for Jewish Life, the Sabbath and Festivals) where God appears in the image of a woman. “The Spectacular Difference” is Falk’s translation of Zelda’s poetry into English. Her collection of poetry “The Song of Songs, A New Translation and Interpretation” was published by Harper Collins Publishing.
Miklós Vámos (Hungry): Born in Hungry in 1950, Miklós Vámos has published to date, 33 books, plays and films. His books have awarded him many prizes and he has been translated to numerous languages. His famous book “The Book of Fathers” was translated into Hebrew by xxx[pdr1] Publishers tells of a saga over 300 years of history of a Hungarian Jewish family whose oldest sons are endowed with a miraculous characteristic – they are able to ‘see’ events that took place in the lives of their forefathers. In a journey that extends over a period of 300 years the story of one family unfolds into the story of Hungry up to WW ll.
Rachel Ertel (France): Rachel Ertel is a Yiddish translator who has published literature from Yiddish to French. In 1976 she organized the ‘Days of Yiddish Culture’ in the Pompidou Centre in Paris, together with other intellectuals. Ertel has published a collection of stories from Yiddish culture: Une maisonette au bord de la Vistule, et autres nouvelles du monde Yiddish (A little house on the Vistula and other news from the Yiddish world, 1989), and other books: Dans la langue de personne: poésie yiddish de l’anéantissement (In nobody’s language: Yiddish poetry of annihilation, 1993) and Brasier des mots (Furnace of words, 2003). She serves as honorary president of the YiddishCulturalCenter in Paris.
Marc Weitzmann (France): His Books include: “Chaos” (Grasset 1997), “Mixed Marriage” (Stock 2000), Brotherhood (Denoël, 2006). His books discuss connections in families, globalization, terror, searching for identity and more.
Jon Juaristi Linacero (Spain): Born in Bilbao in 1959, Jon Juaristi Linacero is a poet, essayist and Spanish and Basque translator, living in Madrid. He wrote his Doctoral dissertation on Romance Philology. He serves as a linguist at the University of the Basque Country and at “The King Juan Carlos l of SpainCenter” at New YorkUniversity. Juaristi was a lecturer and researcher in Austin, USA and in Mexico and directed the National Library of Spain from 2001 to 2004.
Theo Tobie Nathan (France): Born in Cairo, Egypt in 1948 and educated in France, Theo Tobie Nathan has a Doctorate in Psychology (1976) and in Humanities (1983). Today he is a Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology at the University of Paris. He has written seven novels, including “Ethno-Roman” 2012 which was awarded the Femina Essai Prize.
Dr. Nora Gold (USA): A founder and editor of the website “Jewish Fiction.net”, a prestigious internet literary journal. Included in her books are “Marrow and Other Stories” which was awarded the Louis Lockshin Prize for Short Stories. A story in the Marrow collection won an award in the Eden Mills Fiction Contest. Her stories have been published in American, Canadian and Israeli newspapers. Gold wrote a literary critique in The Literary Review of Canada, Nashim and The Globe and Mail. She has a Doctorate in Social Work.

The Israeli writers who will be participating in the Festival are: Esther Orner, Dov Elbaum, Dror Burstein, Sarah Blau, Avirama Golan, A.B. Yehoshua, Mira Magen, Evan Fallenberg, Eran Tzelgov, Janush Kovanai, Michael P. Kramer, Etgar Keret, Ana Somlo, Bambi Sheleg, Meir Shalev, Yoel Hoffmann, Joshua Sobol, Lauren Cohen[pdr2] .

The Israeli Poets Who will be participating in the Festival are: Miron Izakson, Eli Eliyahu, Yisrael Eliraz, Yonathan Berg, Michal Govrin, Haim Gouri, Rafi Weichert, Linda Zisquit, Itamar Yaoz-Kest, Eliaz Cohen, Anat Levin, Tsippy Levin Byron, Menachem Lorberbaum, Gilad Meiri, Tal Nitzan, Nathan Slor, Miriam Neiger, Haviva Pedaya, Hava Pinhas-Cohen, Dina Katan Ben-Zion, Yonadav Kaploun, Noa Shakargy, Gali-Dana Singer, Nekoda Singer.

The Kisufim Festival aims to draw attention to current works of Jewish literature in various languages, from Israel and around the world. Literature concerned with “Place”, literature of exile and immigration and the language of memory. The Festival’s intention is to bring together the intellectual and creative powers of Jewish writers and poets whoever they are and wherever they may be.

This is an opportunity for an international meeting between Jewish writers from Israel and abroad, a meeting between Hebrew-Israeli works and between multi lingual and cross-cultural, world-wide Jewish creations.

This is also an opportunity to ask existential questions concerning Jewish identity at the present time. The continuity of the Jewish family during a period, where on one hand there is a Hebrew speaking society and State of Israel, and on the other, a world of Jewish communities abroad that live within foreign societies.

According to the Festival’s Artistic Director Hava Pinhas-Cohen “Jewish literature written after World War ll is the treasury of memory of the Jewish cultural world. We have a major interest to touch upon and engage ourselves in this subject and to add a layer of knowledge for the benefit of future generations.”

Management and Production: Programme Department, Mishkenot Sha’ananim

Artistic Director: Hava Pinhas-Cohen

A poet, editor and lecturer of literature and art. In 1989 Hava Pinhas-Cohen founded and edited “Dimui: A Journal of Literature, the Arts and Jewish Culture”. To date, she has published eight books of poetry in the Ritmus Series of Hakibbutz Hameuchad. In 2011 she published a book of conversations with poet Yisrael Eliraz on poetry in the “Red Line” series of Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing. In 2007, Pinhas-Cohen founded and edited the first “Kisufim” Festival in Beit Morasha in Jerusalem. She is presently working on her Doctorate on Serbian Jewish writers: David Albahari and Danilo Kis. She has won numerous awards including: the Prime Minister’s Award, the Akum Award, and the Alterman Prize and has participated in various festivals in Israel and around the world. Her poetry has been translated into a variety of anthologies in different languages: English, French, Serbo-Croatian, Chinese and Spanish.

Festival Program:

Tuesday, February 5, 2013 –Beit Avi Chai

16:00-17:30

Love at First Sight

Meir Shalev and Dov Elbaum in discussion about Jacob our Forefather, his Struggles and Wives

Opening: Bilha Ben-Eliyahu on Jacob’s character in Elbaum and Shalev’s work.

18:00-19:00

The Voice of the Individual:

Yisrael Eliraz, Yoel Hoffmann, Jon Juaristi Linacero (Spain), Haviva Pedaya, Robert Pinsky (USA)

20:00-21:30

Poetry and Time – A tribute to Haim Gouri –The Nineties

Participants: Haim Gouri, Robert Pinsky (USA), Menahem Brinker, Haviva Pedaya, Yonadav Kaploun

Opening: Bilha Ben-Eliyahu: Language and Memory in Gouri’s Poetry

Moderator: Hava Pinhas-Cohen

Music: Ori Leshman and Mai Israeli from The Oriental Fair[pdr3]

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 – Mishkenot Sha’ananim

9:30-11:00

In the Jerusalem Gates

A closed event for conference participants, hosted by Hava Pinhas-Cohen and Michael Kramer

11:30-13:00 Meetings and Workshops

From Old Wives Tales to Romance,

Participants: Esther Orner, Miklós Vámos (Hungry), Mario Levi (Turkey), Mira Magen

Moderator: Sarah Blau

Speaking Hebrew on the Street and Writing in English Behind Closed Doors – Creative Writing Workshops in English:

Creative Writing Prose: Lead by Eva Fallenberg and Joan Leegant

Creative Writing Poetry: Lead by Linda Zisquit and Marcela Sulak

Sponsored by The Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing, English Department, BarIlanUniversity.

13:30-15:30 Tour of the National Library, Closed to Program Participants.

16:30-18:00 Then Sang the Poet This Song – On the Connection between Prayer and Hebrew Poetry

Participants: Michal Govrin, Chanan Yovel, Eliaz Cohen, Gilad Meiri, Marcia Falk (USA), Noa Shakargy

Moderator: Aliza Lavi

18:00-19:00 The Voice of the Individual:

Participants: Esther Orner, Mario Levi, Anat Levin, Tsippy Levin Byron, Mira Magen, Yonathan Berg

20:00-20:20 The Matanel Award for a Hebrew Poet and for an English Writer (winners soon to be announced)

Remarks on behalf of the Foundation: Ami Bouganim

Greetings and Award presentation by the Foundation Director

Judge’s Considerations: Rachel Elior

Prose/Poetry Reading by Award Winners

Hava Pinhas-Cohen: Thanks to the Matanel Foundation on Behalf of the Kisufim Festival

20:30-22:00 The Melody Abandoned in Vain, Once again Returns

Miron Izakson hosts a discussion on the renewed magic in the meeting between word and melody

Participants: Yasmin Even, Ori Leshman, Nathan Slor, Micah Shitrit and Ronen Shapira

22:00-23:00 An Evening of Young Poets and Writers: Chanaleh at the Khan Theatre

Participants: Elhanan Nir, Noam Partom, Dvir Tzur, Ruth Kara-Ivanov Kaniel, Yonatan Kunda, Neta Weiner

Music: Eran Kats J’ali Ensemble

Moderator: Ariel Levinson

Thursday, February 7, 2013 – Mishkenot Sha’ananim

9:30-11:00 Meetings and Workshops

Magazines on the Shelf and on-line
Participants: Nora Gold (USA), Gali-Dana Singer, Nekoda Singer, Jon Juaristi Linacero (Spain), Eran Tzelgov

Moderator: Bambi Sheleg

Translation, Between Language and Memory

Participants: Nathan Englander (USA), Rachel Ertel (France), Rafi Weichert, Einat Talmon, Yoram Melzer, Tal Nitzan, Dina Katan Ben-Zion

Moderator: Menachem Lorberbaum

* Dedicated to the Memory of Rena Litvin

11:30-13:00 Meetings and Workshops

We Write from Left to Right, Here we Write from Right to Left to There

Participants: Yaniv Hagbi (Hebrew, Holland), Linda Zisquit (English, Israel), Lauren Cohen (French, Israel), Janush Kovanai (Hungarian, Israel), Ana Somlo (Serbian, Israel)

Moderator: Evan Fallenberg