Hey, beloved tribe.
This afternoon, you’ll receive two magazine pieces: the story of our publication’s name (if you’ve been with the Never Alone newsletter from its very earliest week, those details might be familiar) and our first poet showcase.
This is the only time you’ll receive two in a single day. Please don’t feel you’ll be inundated with multiple offerings daily — we don’t want to overwhelm.
Also of note: starting right now, I’m going to risk something different here than with the Never Alone newsletter. I will allow comments from all subscribers, free or paying. If you enjoy or admire a writer’s work, I highly encourage you to show them some love. It’s been a very tough year for all of us.
The reason I allow only paid subscribers to comment on the newsletter is so that the site is not overrun by anti-Zionist trolls. If that happens here, I’ll have to change the policy for our protection.
But since the magazine — unlike the newsletter — is not explicitly political, I am hoping I won’t regret trying this policy.
Every week, we will showcase one poet, one fiction writer and one non-fiction writer. Each showcase will include an offering of their work, a one-paragraph author bio, an author photo, possibly a short introduction, and a very brief interview where each writer is just asked to share their small daily sources of joy — general as well as Jewish.
Those sources of joy never fail to lift my own heart. And we need joy now, wherever we can find or create it.
I can’t think of a better way to mark my Jewish birthday than with this launch. I hope it will spark and nourish you in this trying time. Much love to all of you, always.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Judith’s escape story feels life-changing even to read just now; can’t imagine what it was like for you growing up hearing it. Brava for retelling it so well and for launching Judith the magazine, to carry the word power onward.
Mazal tov, hatzlacha, and kol haKvod!!