The Voices Israel Group of Poets

Bar-Lev, Helen

  helentbarlev@gmail.com

 

Helen Bar-Lev was born in New York in 1942. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology, has lived in Israel for over 50 years and has had nearly 100 exhibitions of her landscape paintings, 34 of which were one-woman shows. Her poems and artwork have appeared in numerous online and print anthologies, and she has published six poetry collections, all illustrated by herself. She is the Amy Kitchener senior poet laureate and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2013. She is the recipient of the Homer European Medal for Poetry and Art. Through the years she has been, in succession, Assistant President of Voices Israel, Chief Editor of the Voices Annual Anthology, Secretary, and Overseas Connections Coordinator. She lives in Metulla, Israel.

 Helen's website

Ben-Sasson, Deborah

Deborah lives in Acre.

 

Goldfarb, Reuven and Yehudit

poetsprogress@gmail.com   
Phone:  04-697-4105

  Writer, teacher, and rabbinic deputy, Reuven Goldfarb has published poetry, stories, essays, articles, reviews, and Divrei Torah in scores of periodicals and anthologies and won several awards.  He co-founded and edited AGADA, the illustrated Jewish literary magazine, taught Freshman English at Oakland’s Merritt College, and "Poetry Immersion" and "Short Story Intensive" as a free-lancer. He now serves as copy editor for books and manuscripts and coordinates monthly meetings for the Upper Galilee chapter of Voices Israel. Residents of Tzfat since 2001, he and his wife Yehudit co-founded Bayt Maor HaLev Center for Movement, Healing, and Language Arts. They host classes, workshops, and a weekly study of Jewish texts in their home. 

Reuven's website

 Rotem, Pesach

Pesach Rotem was born and raised in New York and now lives in the village of Yodfat in northern Israel. He received his B.A. from Princeton University and his J.D. from St. John's University. He is a member of the Voices Israel Group of Poets in English and of the Israel Association of Writers in English. His poems have been published in more than a dozen literary journals including Chiron Review, Natural Bridge, Poets Reading the News, Arc, and Voices Israel anthologies. He is currently the Secretary of Voices Israel.

  Pesach's Facebook page

Aigen, Liza

  Liza lives in Moshav Hazor'im.

 

Kinsbursky, Michelle

michbk@gmail.com

Michelle is an English Educator at Ohalo College, Katzrin, and a Doctoral student at the University of Haifa in the Faculty of Education, where her subject is "Narrative Research: Using Literature and Students' Reflective Writing for Cross Cultural understanding." She lives in Mitspeh Hoshaya.

 

 Yehuda, Dina

Dina is the Chief Editor of the annual Voices Israel Anthology. She lives in Mitspeh Netofa.

 

Aharoni, Ada

 

 

Prof. Ada Aharoni is a poet, writer and sociologist in the field of CR - Conflict Resolution. She is known in Israel and abroad as "The Poet of Love and Peace." She has published 34 books to date that have been translated into many languages and have received many prizes and awards. Her two latest Poetry books are: “Rare Flower” (Dignity Press, USA) and “Horizen of Hope” (Gvanim, Tel Aviv).

Ada Aharoni is the Founding President of “IFLAC: International Forum for Literature and Culture of Peace.” Four albums of her poems and songs have been released.

  Ada's Facebook page

Blumfield, Wendy Don

  Email:  wendyb@netvision.net.il

 Mother of four, grandma of eleven, Wendy was born in the UK and lives in Haifa. She worked for London Publisher, then as a freelance journalist and editor; studied psychology and trained to be a childbirth educator and lactation consultant. She has published a poetry collection: The Soldier's Mother. Her nonfiction book Life After Birth - Everywoman's Experience of the First Year of Motherhood was published in English, Spanish and now Russian. She is a past president of Voices Israel.  Wendy attends the Haifa Voices group.

  Wendy's Facebook page

 Dorfman, Elana

 elanado@gmail.com

 Elana lives in Haifa and attends the Haifa group of Voices. She has given many workshops for Voices and other organizations, and  is currently the Voices workshop coordinator.

 

 Golden, Deborah

 Deborah teaches at Haifa University. She lives in Zichron Yaakov and attends the Haifa group of Voices.

 

Koren, Judy

judyk@actcom.net.il 

Judy immigrated to Israel from England in 1970 with a B.A. in English. After a Master’s in Information Science, she spent 20 years at the Technion and over 20 years as a freelance information analyst before retiring in 2017. She has always written occasional verse but since retiring, devotes her energies to poetry more seriously – along with her involvement in the Haifa English Theatre, birding, hiking, and her activities as Nana of four boys. She is currently the Voices webmistress, and President of Voices. She attends the Haifa Voices group.

Since 2017, Judy has had several dozen poems published or accepted for publication in three Voices Anthologies, four annual issues of Deronda Review, and a dozen literary magazines in the US, UK and elsewhere.

 

 Rosenberg, Susan

 susanndick@gmail.com Tel. 04 838 1218

Susan Rosenberg was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1924. She grew up in Philadelphia, was married to Dick Rosenberg for 64 years, is the mother of five children (one deceased), and the grandmother of 16 grandchildren (one deceased). She has 41 great grandchildren (three more on the way at the time of writing, early 2019), and one great-great grandchild. 

Susan has published five volumes of poetry: A Pledge to Forever, After All This Time, The Place from Afar – an Autobiography in Poetry, After Ninety, and Chugging Along. A sixth appeared to celebrate her 95th birthday in November 2019. Her poems have also appeared in several poetry journals and Anthologies. She attends the Haifa Voices group.

 

Webber, Miriam (pen name: Rumi Morkin)

 

 Miriam Webber was born in London in 1934, and has lived on Moshav Habonim, Israel, since 1953. Miriam writes poems and short stories in addition to translating the journals of EMDA, the Alzheimer's Association of Israel, since 1999, and does occasional English language editing. She set up and runs the archive of Moshav Habonim where she lives. Varied handcrafts have always been her hobby. Sources of joy: 3 children, 8 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and chamber music.

 

  Bell, Susan

  Susan lives in Kfar Vitkin.

 Carol, Luiza

  luizacarol1947@gmail.com

 

Luiza writes for children and for grown ups: poems, short stories, short plays, essays and songs. She has written in Romanian since 1969, since 1981 also in English, and since 2006 she has written mostly in Esperanto. She has received many prizes for different literature genres in three languages.

A member of the Haifa group from 1980 to 2018, Luiza then moved to Netanya and now attends the Netanya/Sharon Voices group.

Luiza's website

Fellerman, David

 

 David lives in Netanya.

 Goldberg, Marlene

 

 Marlene lives in Petach Tikva. She attends the Sharon/Netanya  Voices group.

 

Livingstone, Mali Joy

 

 Mali lives in Moshav Sde Warburg.

 Schnitzer, Amy

 

 

 

 Shabat, Katy (Kaila)

Kaila lives in Ganei Tikva. She attends the Sharon/Netanya Voices group.

 

Suchy, Linda

  lindasuchy@gmail.com

Linda Suchy was born in Winterset, Iowa (the setting for the book and movie “The Bridges of Madison County.”) She has lived in a several different States in the U.S. and now makes her home in Netanya, Israel, with her husband, Michael. She has five children who she adores! She loves to read, write poetry, and work on the genealogy of her family. Linda attends the Netanya/Sharon Voices group. She was the Secretary of Voices Israel from 2017 to 2022.

 

 Cohen, Isaac

 

Isaac lives in Tel Aviv.

 

Hirschson, Phella

 

Phella lives in Tel Aviv and attends the Tel Aviv Voices group.

 

Levinson, Mark L.

nosnivel@netvision.net.il

Mark L. Levinson, while turning out technical and promotional writing for Israeli software companies, used the latest technology — electric typewriters, daisywheel printers, and eventually laser output — to prepare many early issues of Voices Israel, often with his employer's permission. Newspapers have published his book reviews, humor, and political commentary. He translates from Hebrew to English and posts a blog named "Translatable but Debatable." A previous blog, for technical writers, was "The Why of Style." He has edited and co-edited  issues of arc for the Israel Association of Writers in English. Mark coordinates the Tel Aviv group. He lives in Herzliya.

 

Merlin Atias, Celia

celiama26@gmail.com
May be contacted via her Facebook page: Celia Merlin Atias

Born in Lexington, Ky., raised in Buffalo, N.Y. Celia Merlin studied French and English Lit. at SUNY Buffalo followed by an MA in TEFL at Tel Aviv University. She has won numerous honors including four Reuben Rose Memorial International Poetry Competitions, Miriam Lindberg Competition for Peace, and The 2012 Cyclamens and Swords Poetry Competition. Celia has led workshops and given readings at Tel Aviv University and other venues. Her work has appeared in various anthologies. She has made Israel home since 1979, writing, teaching and raising a family.  Celia lives in Ramat Gan and attends the Tel Aviv Voices group.

 

 Sarid, Helen

 

 Helen lives in Tel Aviv.

 

 Talmon, Birgit

 

Birgit is Danish-born. She worked as a licensed desert guide in Beer-Sheva, is now a translator: Danish, English and Hebrew. She has studied prose and poetry with eminent writers and writes in the above languages. She publishes poems and short stories in anthologies in Israel and abroad. She has served on Voices Israel Editorial Board. A soprano, she sang with the Philharmonic Choir of Tel-Aviv and has participated in many operas.

Her books Despite the Shadow, A Hint of a Smile, and Concealed Influences in Vivo, were published by Cyclamens and Swords in addition to her collection of word sonnets Bouncing a Thought. Birgit lives in Tel Aviv.

 

 Bustin, Michele

 

  Michele lives in Gedera.

 

Kasher, Breindel Liba

 

Breindel Lieba Kasher's works can be found in Midstream Magazine, New York; Prism: An Interdisciplinary Journal for Holocaust Educators, Yeshiva University; David Yellin, 21st Century Journal, Israel; Seventh Quarry Press, Wales; Off the Shelf, Boston. She is a two time winner of the Reuben Rose International Poetry Competition (2009, 2013) and Winner of Cyclamens and Swords, 2010. Her work has been translated into German and Polish. She is an independent researcher in holocaust studies and her documentary films have been shown all over the world. In April, 2020, her poem and collage was published on the cover of Prism magazine. She lives in moshav Mevo-Modi'in.

 

 Neiman, Rachel F.

 

  Rachel lives in Beit Shemesh.

 

Abramson, Hayim

 

Publications: On Sources of Artistic Inspiration; Haiku Thoughts; Notes on the Holocaust; Torah, the Land and the Jewish People; The Individual Within the Community; Emunah; Outlook on Life.

Haim works in English, Hebrew and Spanish and teaches Spanish or Jewish subjects through Skype. He lives in Beit El and attends the Jerusalem Voices group.

  Website:
www.hayimabramson.com

Braude, Sandra

sandra.braude@gmail.com

Sandra  is South African born. A strong believer in reading and education, she lectured in English at the two main colleges of education in Johannesburg. At the demise of apartheid she moved to COSAW (Congress of South African Writers), which was set up to promote Black writing, and where she served as editor and administrator. A prize winning storyteller, she has written and published many poems, stories, articles, and several novels. Her latest book, Ndebelephant – a children’s book about a little elephant who wanted to paint – is self-illustrated. After her husband died, she moved to Australia, where she lived before making Aliyah. Sandra lives in Moshav Shoresh.

Condiotte, Angel Simcha

 

Angel lives in Jerusalem.

Findysz, Robert (Bob)

bfindysz@gmail.com

Robert (Bob) Findysz was born in Chicago but moved to the suburbs before first grade. After finishing graduate work at the University of Chicago in the late 60's, he avoided one war zone (Vietnam) by choosing another (the Mideast), married, settled in Jerusalem, started a family and was drafted, relocating to Kibbutz Palmach-Tzova sometime later. Bob spent forty-some years teaching English as a Foreign Language to Israeli high school and university students. After a lifetime of helping others to write, he retired and is now writing for himself. He published for the first time in the January 2017 issue of The MOON. Since then his poems have appeared occasionally in other literary journals, electronic and hard copy. 

 

Foner, Judy

 

Judy was born in Rechovot in 1936. She spent the war years in Suriname, South America and returned to Israel in 1946. Judy has a degree in English and French from the University of Leeds, England. She lives in Jerusalem and taught English to adults in Israel for many years including twenty years at the Bezalel Academy of Arts. Her activities include singing in the Jerusalem Oratorio choir and writing. Judy has twice received an honourable mention in the Reuben Rose Poetry Competition and some of her poems have appeared in previous Voices Anthologies. She lives in Jerusalem and attends the Jerusalem Voices group.

 

 Gottesman, Leah

 gottesmanleah@gmail.com

 Leah lives in Efrat, south of Bethlehem.

 

Kelter, Malka

 

Malka lives in Jerusalem.

Lown-Klein, Linda

 

Linda lives in Jerusalem.

 

 Millmann, Chanita

 

Chanita lives in Jerusalem and attends the Jerusalem group. She is the long-time Treasurer of Voices Israel.

Ramsay, Elizabeth (Betsy)

 

Betsy Ramsay, an American-born journalist, teacher, mother and grandmother, resided with her family in Sweden before moving to Israel in 1987. Betsy has authored eleven books: four collections of her own poetry, two historical novels for children, a full-color picture book for tots, and for adults, a personal memoir plus the story of her Aliyah and finally, a story based on her German Jewish grandfather's account from the Holocaust. Betsy lives in Jerusalem.

Shaltiel, Eva

 

Eva lives in Jerusalem.

 

Sher, Steven (Yashar, Shlomo)

 

Steven/Shlomo lives in Jerusalem.

 

Stern, Ruth

ruthgidi@netvision.net.il

Ruth Stern was born in South Africa where she studied biochemistry and dietetics. In 1948 she immigrated to Israel and joined the Mahal volunteers, serving as a nurse in the Medical Corps. She married one of her patients, had two sons, and taught English.She graduated from the Hebrew University with a B.A. in Education and English Literature, and later an M.A. (cum laude) in English Literature. She has been a teacher, counselor, and headed the English department at the Hebrew University High School. She also volunteered at the Israel Museum and worked for over thirty years at the Gabriel Sherover Information Centre for Israeli Art.

Ruth became a member of Voices Israel – Jerualem group, in 1979. Her poetry has been published in Voices anthologies and in Seven Gates, in Poetica, Matrix and other journals, and also in various anthologies from New Zealand to England to America. Her poem “Loss” was shortlisted for the top 100 poems on the 2000 Forward Press International Competition 2000. She has published one book of poetry: Clip My Lips. Today Ruth heads a poetry translation group in Jerusalem.

 

 Zeisel, Erika

 

Erika lives in Shoresh.

 

 Schreiber, Ruth

 

 Ruth lives in Jerusalem

 

Bat-Or, Shulamit

 

Shulamit lives in Meitar, north-east of Beersheva.

 

Galanis, Jennifer

 

Jennifer Galanis began writing poetry while living in Israel as a method of storytelling for friends and family back home in Fort Worth, TX, USA. Since then, she continues to share stories using an intimate perspective, and prefers topics that are emotionally difficult and sometimes taboo. In Israel, Jennifer attends the Southern/Beersheva group.

  Jennifer's website

Katzenell, Ethelea

  leahk@bgu.ac.il

Ethelea is retired and does Hebrew/English translating and English editing from her home in Be'er-Sheva. She thanks God that she is the mother of 4 successful adult children and grandmother of 5, thus far. She sings in/performs with Cantacapella Classical Choir. She is an avid local-patriot and 'green' activist, who came to Beer-Sheva from Philadelphia, Pa. in 1972 and has worked in the Ben-Gurion  University of the Negev's Central Aranne Library for 45 years on its beautiful eco-friendly campus.She says she has never yet had a dull day here. Ethelea attends the Southern/Beersheva Voices group.

 

Schotz, Amiel

  amielschotz@icloud.com

Amiel Schotz was born in Scotland, came to Israel for a one-year visit in 1965 - and is still here! Former Voices Israel editor-in-chief and judge of the Reuben Rose competition, he glories in being the active Saba of preschoolers Mia and Ella. Amiel writes, translates, performs at folk events, and looks forward to each new day. At 83 (as of early 2019), he says "I am profoundly grateful to still be able to write. Attending the Southern group meetings and benefitting from the wonderful feedback has improved my work immensely." 

 

 Zaqantov, Yochanan

  zaqantov@gmail.com

​Yochanan Zaqantov writes and publishes poetry under the pen name Ivan Labombarbe.  He has published 3 Kindle e-books and 3 paperback books on Kindle Direct Publishing.  He has also marketed his books on Facebook and Instagram.  He chooses self-publishing for the freedom it gives him in managing his writing as an author.  He is also listed on Amazon, Good Reads, and his first book is sold on the Book Depository website.  In 1979, his poem “The Love Lost” was the quarter-finalist in the American Song Festival. He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and a Master’s degree from St. John Fisher College in New York. He is a graduate of Toastmasters International. He then worked for 30 years in Information Technology and was a Program Manager.  He has presented at multiple industry-focused conferences from 1995 to 2002.  He came to Israel in 2018 together with his adult daughter (he is a widower), and settled in Beer Sheva. He is retired and spends his time volunteering, writing poetry, learning to play the acoustic guitar and developing his skills in photography.

 

Bezalel, Chaim and Yonnah

bezalel.levy@gmail.com

Chaim and Yonnah divide their time between Israel, where Chaim coordinates the Ashkelon group, and Stanwood, WA.

 

 Burkman, Katherine

 

 Katherine lives in Columbus, OH.

 

 Dietrich, Carol E.

 

 Carol lives in Worthington, OH.

 

Holt, Patricia

 

surph8@yahoo.com

Patricia lives in Big Sur, CA.

Kleefeld, Carolyn Mary

  info@carolynmarykleefeld.com

Carolyn lives in Big Sur, CA.

 

Mahgerefteh, Michal

 

 Michal lives in Norfolk, VA. She is the editor of Poetica Magazine.

 

McKinney-Small, Amy

 

  Amy lives in Philadelphia, PA.

 

Rabinowitz, Paul

 

 Paul lives in Morristown, NJ.

 

Robinson, Judith R.

alongtheserivers@gmail.com

Judith is an editor, teacher, fiction writer, poet and visual artist. A 1980 summa cum laude graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, she is listed in the Directory of American Poets and Writers. She has published 75+ poems, five poetry collections, one fiction collection; one novel; and edited or co-edited eleven poetry collections. Her newest collection, Carousel, was published in January, 2017 by Lummox Press. She teaches at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Judith lives in Pittsburgh, PA..

Schneberg, Willa

  snowmntn@comcast.net

Willa Schneberg is a poet, ceramic sculptor, curator and psychotherapist in private practice. She has authored five poetry collections including: Box Poems; In The Margins of The World (recipient of the Oregon Book Award), Storytelling in Cambodia, and Rending the Garment. Willa has been a fellow at Yaddo and MacDowell. Poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals, including: American Poetry Review; Salmagundi; Poet Lore and Bellevue Literary Review. In 2018, she was poet-in-residence in Kathmandu, Nepal. She lives in Portland, OR.

Seitel, Jane

  4jseitel@gmail.com

Jane lives in Apex, NC.

 Tana, Patti

pattitana@optonline.net

Patti Tana is Professor Emerita of English at Nassau Community College (SUNY) and the Walt Whitman Birthplace 2009 Poet of the Year. She is editor of the poetry anthology Songs of Seasoned Women, associate editor of the Long Island Quarterly, and the author of nine books of poems, most recently All I Can Gather & Give. Two of her poems won honorable mention in the Reuben Rose Poetry Competition: “Hemming” (2015) and “The Numbers” (2018). Patti lives on Long Island. To listen to Patti read her poems, please visit her poetry website.

Patti's website: pattitana.com

Hill, Ruth

 

ruthhill@joiedevivregardens.ca

  Ruth lives in Chetwynd, BC.

 

Pradhmelina, Sabina

 sabinapradh@gmail.com

Sabina lives in Medicine Hat, AL.

 

Wolfson, Rosemary

 

 Rosemary lives in Kenton Harrow, Middlesex.

 

Cohen, Lilian

 Lilian moved from Australia to Israel in 1968, living on Kibbutz Yizrael before moving to Haifa where she worked as an English teacher at Haifa University, the Technion and at the Leo Baeck Senior High School in Haifa until her retirement. A longtime member of Voices, she now resides in Melbourne, Australia, where she belongs to two writing groups. Her poetry and fiction have been regularly published in Israel, Australia and the USA. 

 

Suttner, Immanuel

 manosuttner@gmail.com

Immanuel lives in Mattraville, NSW.