Skip to main content

a hearth for Jewish poetry

Yetzirah
Regional Chapters

Yetzirah Regional Chapters are local groups of Jewish poets and readers of Jewish poetry, organized and hosted by Yetzirah members with the support of Yetzirah staff, which meet to offer programming and community-building aligned with Yetzirah’s mission. We believe an important part of supporting Jewish poets is helping people make connections in their own communities, facilitating local networks of mutual support and inspiration.

Reach out to one of the leaders below to join a chapter near you, or check out local events at our Community Calendar.

Interested in learning more or perhaps forming a new chapter in your community? Email Yetzirah’s Program Coordinator Kyra Lisse: klisse@yetzirahpoets.org.

Regional Chapter Benefits & Criteria Regional Chapter Leader Resources

CA: Los Angeles Yetzirah

Provides Jewish poets, friends, and community members across Greater Los Angeles with a much-needed place to make connections through a mashup of in person and online readings, poetry salons, lectures, workshops, and write-ins.

Email Donna Spruijt-Metz, Email Nan Cohen, Email Julia Knobloch

CA: San Francisco Bay Area Yetzirah

Please be in touch if you would like to participate and help to shape the future of this community!

Email Dan Alter, Email Gail Newman

IL: Chicagoland Yetzirah

Meets for in-person readings and Jewish poetry salons, and to create supportive community for local Jewish poets.

Email Jamie Wendt, Email Dina Elenbogen

MA: Western Massachusetts Yetzirah

Meets for monthly in-person gatherings of Jewish poets in and around Northampton.

Email Tzivia Gover, Email Rich Michelson, Email Lesléa Newman

MA: Boston Area Yetzirah

Regular in-person gatherings, including Jewish poetry salons, readings, and national Yetzirah event watch parties.

Email Josette Akresh-Gonzales, Email Liza Halley

NJ: Central/Northern New Jersey Yetzirah

Meets monthly through zoom (and in-person 4x/year) for readings, generative workshops, and more, for Jewish poets of all levels in Central and Northern NJ.

Email Hannah Butcher, Email Melissa Rosen

NM: New Mexico Yetzirah

We are delighted about our first event on October 4th, a poetry salon in Taos with support from local literary organization SOMOS. Everyone is welcome! We look forward to building community with all poets and interested people. More events are in the works for 2026-27 in Santa Fe and Albuquerque!

Email Elizabeth Jacobson, Email Leslie Ullman

NY: Finger Lakes Yetzirah

Meets regularly for in–person events including readings and generative workshops for Jewish poets, friends, and community members in the upstate New York Finger Lakes region.

Email Suzanne Brody

NC: Asheville Yetzirah

Meets for in-person gatherings around writing, reading, discussion, and community support.

Email Rick Chess

NC: North Carolina Piedmont (Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point Triad)

Email Caleb Horowitz, Email Om Green

PA: Philadelphia Yetzirah

An evolving, supportive, and diverse community of local Jewish poets who meet in-person monthly and host Jewish poetry salons.

Email Amy Small-McKinney, Email Steven Kleinman

VT: Vermont Yetzirah

Meets through zoom for readings and inclusive workshops for Vermont Jewish poets of all levels, and supports community members organizing local in-person poetry events.

Email Judy Chalmer

INTL: Israel Yetzirah (based in Jerusalem)
We nurture an inclusive and supportive community of poets who meet in person quarterly for readings, workshops, and connection. We aim to create a welcoming space for poets of all levels to develop their work and build a literary community. At each meeting, we proudly feature a debut poet chosen from our community. We also feature published poets, slam poetry, and poetry in translation. We are aiming to offer workshops in the near future and are also considering raising money for a member of our poetry community to attend the annual Yetzirah Conference.

Email Joanna Chen, Email Sarah Sassoon