Hebrew Poetry Group Travels to Connecticut to Further Exploration of Yehuda Amichai

Six regulars of Temple Micah's Hebrew Poetry group--which has been focusing for more than two years on the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai--traveled to New England for an October conference on the poet's work.

"Poetics and Politics in Yehuda Amichai's World," organized to celebrate the donation of Amichai's papers to the Yale University Judaica Collection, included presentations by renowned biblical scholar Robert Alter; translators Chana Kronfeld and Benjamin and Barbara Harshav; local writer Leon Wieseltier, who currently is translating unpublished poems of Amichai's, and other American and Israeli scholars. Many of the presenters had been friends of Amichai, who died in 2000 at age 76. His widow, Hana Amichai, and two of his children also attended the conference.

Temple Micah's Hebrew Poetry readers, who were among a small group of non-academics who were not friends of the Amichai family, were warmly welcomed by Hana Amichai and presenters. Micah members were pleased to discover that many conference sessions reinforced concepts that they had learned together.

"What was most interesting and surprising to me," said Ed Grossman, "was how much we already knew about Amichai's poetry --the irony, word play, contrast with classical Jewish religious texts, the humor, etc."

Grossman was also interested in Amichai's anti-ideological stance, given his status as a veteran of both World War II and the Israeli War of Independence. Boaz Arpaly and Menakhem Perry, both of Tel Aviv University, spoke about Amichai's subtle response to war, nationalism and ideology. Benjamin Harshav recalled, in his opening presentation, how Amichai had been unique in their intellectual circle in the late 1940s, being "three years and two wars older."

Amichai was also unique among modern Israeli poets, several presenters noted, for his Orthodox background and consequent use of religious vocabulary and imagery in his poetry. Bill Cutter, of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, spoke about using Amichai's poems to engage rabbinical students in dialogue with tradition. Similarly, the Hebrew Poetry group often finds that Amichai's religious vocabulary and imagery, however irreverently applied, opens points of discussion--and, not incidentally, makes his poetry easier to translate for those who know Hebrew largely through Torah and the prayer book.

In addition to Grossman, Hebrew Poetry field trippers were Marcia Bordman, Judith and Merv Rosen, Sabrina Sojourner and Virginia Spatz. The group ordinarily meets every other Shabbat, following morning services and lunch. All poems are read in class in English and Hebrew. No preparation or Hebrew skill is necessary. All are encouraged to join.
[from December 2007 Vine]