Haredi Women’s Literature Explodes
August 23, 2012 at 12:58 AM
Photo Courtesy of Tablet Magazine
The current increase in writing from hareidi women started in 1999 with Horizons magazine. which bills itself as “the first quarterly magazine for the religious Jewish market.” It still exists but has been overshardowed by more popular magzines such as Binah, and Mishpacha magazines. Horizons started the trend of Hareidi book publishing including novels and children's books many times written by women. The hareidi women who created the industry, much like hareidim themselves, are quite diverse.
After Varda Branfman, 61, became religious she stopped writing until she was told by her husband's rabbi that not only should she not stop writing but she had an obligation to use her gift. In 2002 she self-published an anthology of poems, essays, and short fiction. She never felt right about going to a room and leaving her children to fend for themselves. To alleviate this problem she would sit with her laptop near the kitchen so that she could prepare meals and be on call. In her interview with Tablet magazine she said that maybe that's the difference about a Jewish writer; she puts family and community before her profession.
Hareidim have different rules when they write. For example Libi Astaira, who has written three mystery novels sets three ground rules: 1. No murders or gratuitous violence. 2. No unredeemable characters. 3. No inappropriate language or sexual immorality. Because Libi can't include these three things in her books she makes up for it by creating vivid characters and inserting humor into her writing.
Editors and writers have more equal representation in the ultra-Orthodox literary community than in the secular world.
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