Ruth Fogelman

Current City, State, Country

Jerusalem, Israel

Birth City, State, Country

London, England

Biography

Ruth Fogelman was born in England and has lived in Jerusalem’s Old City for most of her life. She came to Israel at the age of eighteen. She is the author of five books, her first, Within the Walls of Jerusalem – A Personal Perspective, is a collection of belle lettres that she wrote over a period of many years, and four books of poetry. Her first three books include her photography. Her poems, articles, short stories and photography have appeared in anthologies and various publications in Israel, U.K., USA, and India. Her Biblical poetry has regularly appeared on the 929 English website. Her latest book of poetry was released in 2019. Ruth holds a Masters Degree from the Creative Writing Program of Bar Ilan University, leads a Women’s Writing Workshop in Jerusalem and is a member of the Israel Association of Writers in English.

What is the relationship between Judaism and/or Jewish culture and your poetry?

The relationship between Judaism, Jewish Culture and my poetry is easy to define: the majority of my poetry is based on Jewish culture in imagery, such as challot, the calls of the shofar, the tallit, and also in the characters of Tanach, the Hebrew Bible, understood with the help of our sages and our Oral Tradition.

My main inspiration is the intense Jewish life that I lead in the heart of Jerusalem, my time spent at the Western Wall, both in prayer and in observation of my surroundings there, and my daily walks through the narrow, tunneled alleys to and from my home in the Jewish Quarter.

Published Works

Poetry
What Color Are Your Dreams (2019)
Leaving the Garden (2018)
Jerusalem Awaking (Sifrei Bitzaron, 2010)
Cradled in God’s Arms (2009)

Prose (Belles Lettres)
Within the Walls of Jerusalem – A Personal Perspective (2000)

Author Site

Links to Sample Works

929, “Mrs. Ben Susi on her Husband’s Return to Paran”

Video Reading

Education

Hebrew University, BA in English Literature
Shaindy Rudoff Creative Writing Program, Bar Ilan University, MA in Creative Writing

Subject Matter

Genre

Nonfiction, Poetry