Download FeminIsrael – Erev Shira – Poetry Program Leader`s Guide

FeminIsrael – Erev Shira – Poetry Program Leader's Guide
Necessary Supplies:
-
Bios for each poet
Poems in Hebrew with English translations
Links to videos of the poems performed by famous Israeli musicians and
artists
Zionist timeline
Suggested Marketing and Program Structures:
Possible structure twists:
- Lunch and Learn
- Open Mic – Devote some time for participants to share some of their own
poetry about Zionism, Israel, and peace. Take some time to compare themes
and structure with the poems presented. Note any influences, similarities, and
development.
- Though the leader’s guide is written in a way that has the bios read before the
actual poem, feel free to change this as you see fit. You may want to read the
poem first and see if the participants can guess what era it was written in based
on the themes it contains. You may also want to hide the author’s name on
each poem and have the participants try to match poems to the author. You
can also have them try to put the poems in order of when they were written.
Possible Target Markets:
- Creative writing groups
- Women's Rights Groups (campus Feminists, Taking Back the Night, etc.)
- Gender and sexuality academic departments at universities
- Jewish and Israel groups
Program Goals:
Hebrew is an ancient and rich language with poetry and songs that date back to the
time of the Bible. The revitalization of Hebrew by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and the
modern Zionist movement lead to a sort of literary revolution with large outpourings
of literature and poetry. Women have always been integral contributors to the arts in
the Zionist movement, and the field of poetry is no different. Our main goal here is to
give students a deeper knowledge of the arts in Israel (pre-state and current) and have
them leave with a stronger appreciation for Hebrew poetry. Further, we want to get
across the importance of women in Israeli society and discuss their importance of
their contributions.
Keep in Mind:
Poetry is art and so this is a program that will most likely appeal to the artistically
inclined. Remember to cater to your audience! Make sure the space is creatively
decorated with an atmosphere that promotes good vibes.
Program Breakdown:
5 minutes – Introduction and FeminIsrael intro
15 minutes – Rachel the Poet – “Visit”, “Transformation” and “El Artzi”
10 minutes – Fania Bergstein – “Melodies”
10 minutes – Leah Goldberg – “My Homeland” and “Slihot”
10 minutes – Yona Wallach – “A Man Accumulates Memories” and “Identity
Problems”
6) 5 minutes – Wrap-up and conclusion
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Part One: Introduction
Take about 5 minutes to introduce the program. Explain how important poetry is to
the Zionist movement and the Jewish people in general. Also make sure to take a few
minutes to introduce FeminIsrael. If you need some help with that, check out
www.feminisrael.org. Make sure to give the students a quick layout of the program
and how it will work.
Part Two: Rachel the Poet
Have every participant read Rachel’s biography then go over her poems. You can
choose to review each poem individually, or all of them as a group, depending on
your preference and time constraints. Though you may want to break down each
poem individually for a literary discussion (syntax, etc), this may prove to be tough
since most participants likely won’t be Hebrew speakers. The discussion questions in
this guide will mostly be based on the poems as a group and the themes they contain.
Discussion Questions:
1) What are the recurring themes you notice throughout her poems?
2) How do you notice her health issues influencing her poetry? Do you think it
made her bitter?
3) What influence did you think her era has on her poetry? What significant
Zionist events do you think happened during her life (refer to the Zionist
timeline)?
4) What influence do you think her Russian and religious past had on her
writing?
5) Rachel seems to be extremely tied to the land itself and also somber. If that’s
the case, why do you think she is still so popular in modern Israel? What about
her work speaks to the current population?
6) What about Rachel’s poems are specifically feminine? What is unique to the
female perspective?
Part Three: Fania Bergstein
Read Fania’s biography and her poem. Note how Fania has a much different outlook
and upbringing from Rachel. Also make sure to note the importance of Hebrew in her
family.
Discussion Questions:
1) By looking only at the poems (and not the bios), what differences do you
notice in the personalities of Fania and Rachel?
2) What are similar themes? (One that I note are the strong references to nature.
Perhaps use that to delve deeper into the topic of kibbutzim and the mentality
of the early pioneers)
3) Fania is quick to pay homage to her parents. What influence do you think they
had on her and why did she reference them in this specific way?
4) This poem is famous for being a strong allegory. What do you think it’s
referring to? What is Fania really trying to say?
5) Do you find Fania’s poetry to be more or less feminine than Rachel’s?
6) What Zionist events do you think took place during the writing of this poem?
(Refer to the timeline if necessary)
Part Four: Leah Goldberg
Read Leah’s biography and poems. Pay special attention to “Mechora Sheli” since it
has many complex themes.
Discussion Questions:
1) Leah's two poems are very different in a lot of ways, but some themes carry
through. What motifs do you see that flow between them?
2) "Mechora Sheli" is much more similar to the poetry of Rachel the poet and
Fania Bergstein than "Slihot," but its message is still starkly different. What do
you think is the underlying message to "Mechora Sheli" and how do you think
Leah's life experience lead her to feel this way? How do these
feelings/messages compare to those of Rachel and Fania?
3) There is a strong theme of the number seven in "Mechora Sheli." Why do you
think that is and where does it come from?
4) Which of the two poems that you read do you feel comes from more of a
uniquely feminine perspective? Why?
Part Five: Yona Wallach
Reach Yona's bio and poems. Take time to contrast her experience to that of the rest
of the world during the same era. Note that while the previous women had
experiences that were uniquely Israeli, Yona—while still having an Israeli twist—
experienced and wrote about more universal themes. Hippie counter-culture was a
world-wide phenomenon, as opposed to kibbutz and halutz (pioneer) life which
existed only in Israel. The world was changing, and Israel changed with it.
Discussion Questions:
1) Yona Wallach's poetry and upbringing differed greatly from the previous
poets. Do you see her writing (and the themes therein) to be a natural
progression for female poets, or was she simply an anomaly? Did she grow
from their work and borrow from it?
2) Do you think Wallach was simply a product of her times or a true barrierbreaker? What about her era influenced her?
3) What do you think lead to Wallach's "Identity Problems?" Was this a personal
statement or an allegory? Do you think it could apply to society as a whole?
4) Are there any poets or artists from your country that she reminds you of? How
and why?
Part Six: Conclusion
After you have read and discussed all the poems, tie it all together. Perhaps ask a few
closing questions, such as "what was your favorite poem and why" or "who did you
identify with most?" Remind everyone that poetry hasn’t stopped with Yona Wallach
and encourage them to look into modern works on their own. Remember, the goal
here is to show everyone how much of an influence women have had in every facet of
Israeli life, so remind them of that fact.