Poetry

Ezra Olman's short story debut at Lehrhaus

As we approach Pesach, Bruce Black's latest poem vividly retells the splitting of the sea.

Ross Weissman offers a stirring poem on hope during the trying times of coronavirus.

As 2022 comes to a close, the Lehrhaus team is proud to feature some highlights from our contributions this past year. Yet again, we have published at least one hundred original pieces across a wide variety of genres.

Yaakov Jaffe analyzes the multiple meanings of a medieval Jewish poem and popular Shabbat table song.

Yehoshua November's poem movingly and thoughtfully portrays the challenges and pleasures of Chassidic life.

Jeffrey Burghauser's three poems draw on the biblical and rabbinic imagination.

Poet Yehoshua November notices a defining characteristic of contemporary poetry—fixation on the ordinary. In light of Hasidic theology, November argues that appreciation for the holiness of the ordinary underlies Megillat Esther and the celebration of Purim.

In this poetic tale from Marina Zilbergerts's recent poetry book You Were Adam (Wipf and Stock), a learned and passionate woman struggles with her yetser hara, nicknamed "Wicked." The yetser is imagined as a fantastic character who accompanies her through Jewish Toronto's banal suburbia. "Wicked '' is a sympathetic and tragic apikores who knows how to get her where it hurts, but he also speaks the truth. He is a careful social observer present with her at all times. From going on weekly shopping trips, being in shul, to more intimate moments, this demonic character becomes her unlikely friend. In an ironic twist, the lessons taught to her by her yetser help her embark on the path of repentance.

A new poem from Zohar Atkins offers a poetic meditation on life in the COVID world.