The new Tablet story my editor is afraid I’m going to get hate mail for

July 10, 2014July 9, 2014beccakinla Jewish, Jewish writing, Judaism, klempner, kosher, ladies-only, magazines Tags: comments, controversy, don't wear, essay, feminism, girls, hareidi, hate mail, jew, jewess, jewish, ladies, magazine, orthodox, rebecca klempner, Tablet, tefillin, trolls, wear, women, writing 4 Comments

My newest piece is up on Tablet. When I submitted the pitch several months ago to the Life and Religion editor, Wayne Hoffman, he cautioned me: do you really want to do this?

The topic of the essay is a controversial one in the Jewish community — women wearing Tefillin — and he was afraid I’d get a lot of trolls. And probably some genuine hate mail, to boot.

My original proposal was a much wider topic — the denigration of traditional feminine roles by many “feminists” in the Jewish community. I shot off the query letter in a fit of pique after yet another feminist looked down her nose at my lifestyle and basically told me I was so persecuted I didn’t know that I was persecuted.

The first draft was a mess: too big, too venting, too…too…everything.

I have to really give credit to the very special Mr. Hoffman, who asked the right questions and nudged me in the right direction until I could be proud of the resulting essay. We cut most of the first draft, and narrowed the topic considerably, then tried to focus on the positive aspects of the story.

Anyway, I hope you check the essay out and share and comment and all that.

Still need a daisy? 6 years of Raizy

May 21, 2014beccakinla A Dozen Daisies for Raizy, advice, art, art project, Jewish, jewish motherhood, Jewish writing, Judaism, klempner, kosher, preparing, recommended reading, shavuos, Shavuot, stories, students Tags: a dozen daisies for raizy, art, art project, book, class, creative jewish mom, daisies, flowers, har sinai, holiday, homeschool, idea, ideas, jewish, Jewish Mom, kveller, lesson, lesson plan, mt. sinai, parent, picture book, preschool, preschooler, project, raizy, school, shavuos, shavuot, teacher, tie-in Leave a comment

My picture book, A Dozen Daisies for Raizy, has now been out for six years. With Shavuos just around the corner, I know that parents and teachers will be teaching about the holiday –some using my book, some not — and I thought I’d provide a few links to help them. Continue reading →

An interview with author Batya Ruddell

May 8, 2014beccakinla advice, authors, HaModia, inyan magazine, Israel, Jewish, Jewish writing, Judaism, magazines, Orthodox, serial, writer, writing, writing process Tags: advice, author, Batya Ruddell, binah, binah magazine, Chareidi, english, fiction, hamodia, hareidi, interview, Inyan, Israel, jewish, journalist, media, orthodox, serial, writer, writing 4 Comments

Today, I have the pleasure of sharing with you another interview. In this post, you’ll meet the funny, talented Batya Ruddell. For those of you who read Binah Magazine or Hamodia, her name will certainly be familiar. Batya is one of the foremost writers in the Hareidi world today, and her work is beloved both by readers and other writers. Next week, she’ll be presenting at the Jerusalem Writers’ Conference, and this week, she’s answered a few questions for me via email.

RK: How long have you been writing? First, as an amateur, and then professionally?

BR: I think I was writing in the womb!! Seriously, for as long as I can remember I’ve had a pen in my hand. Writing was always my passion but a botched attempt at getting into Journalism school (I knew NOTHING about politics or current events, LOL), led me down a different path to a career as a pediatric and neonatal intensive care nurse. I worked in this field for almost three decades before switching tracks to my initial dream a few years ago and becoming a professional writer.

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I Live With My Mommy: new Jewish picture book addresses life with a single mother

April 28, 2014April 30, 2014beccakinla Jewish, Jewish writing, Judaism, kosher, librarians, library, literature, Orthodox, parenting, picture books, publishing Tags: Chareidi, children, Dena Ackerman, divorce, frum, hamotzi, hareidi, jewish, kiddish, menuch publishers, mom, mother, orthodox, parenting, picture book, single, single-parent, Tzvia Erlich-Klein 3 Comments

Today, I’d like to share with you this interview with Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein, the author of the upcoming picture book I Live With My Mommy. This new, groundbreaking picture book for the first time focuses on growing up in a single-parent, Orthodox Jewish home. I learned about the book through its illustrator, the gifted Dena Ackerman, and upon my request, she hooked me up with Tzvia for a bit of Q & A via email.

picture book about Jewish home and divorce

I Live With Mommy, Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein’s new book about growing up with an Orthodox single mother.

RK: What led you to write about children living with a single mother?

TEK: Over 30 years ago I got divorced. At that time it was — or at least seemed to be — very rare [in the Orthodox community]. Walking my (approximately) 4-year-old daughter home from gan (nursery school) with her friend, I overheard her explaining to her friend: “No, my abba (daddy) didn’t die. They got ‘vorced.”

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One week until seder night! How to keep focused and full of joy

April 7, 2014beccakinla advice, Jewish, Jewish writing, Judaism, passover, pesach Tags: advice, cleaning, focus, hard, I L Peretz, inspiration, joy, music, Passover, Pesach, pleasure, reading, recommended reading, work Leave a comment

Here’s today’s teeny post:

Getting through the long, hard slog with a smile on your face.

Passover is just a week away, but if you’re cleaning your house like me, scrubbing mysterious substances off of flatware and appliances you intend to use during the holiday, it can get hard to think beyond getting the house chometz-free. To get myself in the mood, I listen to lots of fun music while I clean (Jewish, classical, and jazz) and attend classes about Passover with local rabbis and teachers. I enjoy practicing singing the seder songs with my kids during carpool, and we usually read I.L. Peretz’s “The Conjuror” at some point during the week.

Writing can be hard work like that, too. What do you do — either while Pesach cleaning or while plugging away at the keyboard — to give you inspiration and focus?

Ruchama King Feuerman’s latest, now in paperback!

April 2, 2014beccakinla Jewish, Jewish writing, Judaism, novel, novels, Orthodox, reading, recommended reading, review, risa miller Tags: 2013, 2014, book, ebook, goodreads, in the courtyard of the kabbalist, interview, Israel, jewish, King Feuerman, novel, paperback, publish, release, review, risa miller, Ruchama King, ruchama king feuerman, the Courtyard of the Kabbalist Leave a comment

For those of you who haven’t yet read Ruchama King Feuerman’s latest novel (maybe because you were frustrated about its original ebook-only release), In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist is now available in paperback.

Haven’t yet added it to your To-Read list, on Goodreads or otherwise? You can learn more about the book through my interview with her or by reading this great review of the book by Risa Miller (a talented Jewish novelist herself).

I think it’s fascinating that the book’s ebook success with readers and critics propelled it to more traditional publication. It will be even more interesting to see how the book sells now that it is more accessible to readers.

Rebecca Klempner

Author page of Rebecca Klempner

Judaism

The new Tablet story my editor is afraid I’m going to get hate mail for

Still need a daisy? 6 years of Raizy

An interview with author Batya Ruddell

RK: How long have you been writing? First, as an amateur, and then professionally?

I Live With My Mommy: new Jewish picture book addresses life with a single mother

One week until seder night! How to keep focused and full of joy

Getting through the long, hard slog with a smile on your face.

Writing can be hard work like that, too. What do you do — either while Pesach cleaning or while plugging away at the keyboard — to give you inspiration and focus?

Ruchama King Feuerman’s latest, now in paperback!

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RK: How long have you been writing? First, as an amateur, and then professionally?

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Getting through the long, hard slog with a smile on your face.

Writing can be hard work like that, too. What do you do — either while Pesach cleaning or while plugging away at the keyboard — to give you inspiration and focus?

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