Explore Jewish identity, tradition, and imagination through poetry! Rather than following one set format, this program offers several flexible options to use Jewish texts, poetry prompt books, ritual objects, holidays, symbols, and visual imagery to inspire meaningful poetry writing. This event emphasizes creativity, personal expression, and accessibility, making Jewish learning and personal meaning-making come alive through words. 

PRO TIP:

This event is easily repeatable by using a different prompt, holiday, text, etc… Consider using this program to start a recurring poetry writing group at your MoHo! Consider having this event series culminate in an open mic/poetry sharing event! 

PROGRAM SUGGESTION MENU (🧿 = Idea for Jewish Culture and Holidays program; 📖 = Idea for Jewish Learning program):

1. 📖 Learn about the Jewish symbolism of pomegranates and write poems inspired by the pomegranate, a central Jewish symbol.  
2. 📖 Use a brief text study from the Jewish Studio Project or on a topic of your choosing to inspire some written art making!  
3. 📖 Learn about what the forbidden fruit might have been in the Garden of Eden and then write poems inspired by the Garden of Eden or the forbidden fruit.  
4. 🧿 Use this Jewish Poetry Writing Prompt Book for poetry prompts inspired by the Jewish calendar.  
5. 🧿📖 Write poems in response to watching or listening to stories from Holocaust survivors or read poetry written by survivors, or in response to genocide to inspire your own poetry.  
6. 🧿 Use an exploration of Jewish ritual objects to inspire Jewish rooted poetry!  
7. 🧿 Looking for a sense of renewal? Check out these poetry writing prompts for the Jewish new year?  
8. 🧿 Shavuot around the corner? Take a look at these Shavuot inspired poetry writing prompts!  

📖 Program #1: Pomegranate Inspired Poetry  

• Welcome guests  
• Have the group learn through the source sheet as a full group giving different people a chance to read the sources and respond out loud to the questions. Or you could break the group into chavruta (learning pairs) to learn the materials and then come back together to share what they discussed/discovered.  
• Write poems inspired by your learning or inspired by the pomegranate itself.  
• Consider having a prompt(s) to help get people started. For example: 
  • Describe the pomegranate in as much detail as possible.  
  • Finish the sentence: A pomegranate is like______.  
  • What does it feel like to break open/eat/clean up a pomegranate?  
• Optional: Share poems out to the group at the end.  

📖 Program #2: Jewish Text Inspired Poetry

• Before the event, pick a text study from the Jewish Studio Project or a Jewish text on a topic of your choosing. 
  • Inspiration for Jewish Topics to Explore: 
    • Explore the theme of love with a passage from Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim, a biblical love poem!   
    • Explore the topic of dreams with a passage from the Joseph stories in Genesis also known as Bereshit. 
    • Explore the topic of freedom with a passage from the parting of the red sea in Exodus also known as Shemot. 
    • Reach out to your JLS for more ideas!  
• Have the group learn through the text/source sheet as a full group giving different people a chance to read the sources and respond out loud to the questions. Or you could break the group into chavruta (learning pairs) to learn the materials and then come back together to share what they discussed/discovered. 
• Write poems inspired by your learning! 
• Consider having a prompt(s) to help get people started. For example: 
  • List all the themes present in the text you just studied. Pick one theme and write a poem inspired by that theme.  
  • Try doing blackout poetry with the text(s) you just studied. Then write another poem inspired by or responding to the blackout poem.  
  • Pick one word or phrase from the text. Let that word or phrase be the first word(s) of your poem and then keep writing from there!  
• Optional: Share poems out to the group at the end. 

📖 Program #3: Forbidden Fruit Inspired Poetry  

• Welcome guests  
• Have the group learn through the source sheet as a full group giving different people a chance to read the sources and respond out loud to the questions. Or you could break the group into chavruta (learning pairs) to learn the materials and then come back together to share what they discussed/discovered.  
• Write poems inspired by your learning! 
• Consider having a prompt(s) to help get people started. For example: 
  • Describe the forbidden fruit (whichever fruit you think it was) in as much detail as possible.  
  • Explore the theme of forbiddenness.  
  • When was a time you were told you couldn’t have/do something? What did you do?  
• Optional: Share poems out to the group at the end. 
• Optional: Have a bunch of fruit, fruit snacks, and fruit forward beverages to enjoy while writing!

🧿 Program #4: Jewish Calendar Inspired Poetry  

• Before the event, purchase the Jewish Poetry Writing Prompt Book  
• In preparation for the event, pick a few Jewish poetry prompts from the book inspired by the Jewish calendar. Or pass the book around at the event and have each person pick their own prompt from the book. 
• Write poems inspired by the book prompts! 
• Optional: Share poems out to the group at the end. 

🧿📖 Program #5: Poetry Inspired by Stories of Holocaust Survivors  

• Before the event, pick one or two holocaust survivor testimonies or poetry written by survivors.   
• As a group, read/listen/watch testimonies or poems.  
• Discuss as a group what stood out to each person in the testimonies or poems. Prompt everyone to share a theme, image, insight, or question they have.  
• Write poems inspired by your learning! 
• Consider having a prompt(s) to help get people started. For example: 
  • What is one image from the story/poem that is sticking with you?  
  • Write a poem to/dedicated to the person whose story/poem you heard. 
  • How do you feel when you hear stories of Jewish struggle/pain?  
• Optional: Share poems out to the group at the end. 

🧿 Program #6: Jewish Ritual Object Inspired Poetry  

• Before the event, gather all the Jewish ritual items in your home (or purchase some or print out photos of Jewish ritual object).  
  • Here is a list of possible objects: 
    • Shabbat Candlesticks  
    • Kiddush Cup 
    • Tallit 
    • Challah cover  
    • Siddur/Bentscher   
    • Shabbat Candles 
    • Kippah 
    • Shofar 
    • Hanukkiah  
    • Tzitzit 
    • Tefillin  
    • Etc… 
• Place all the ritual objects on the table you plan to have everyone gather around.  
• Invite each person to pick one object on the table.  
• Begin by having everyone describe that object in writing in as much detail as possible just based on what they can see, touch, smell, hear.  
• Then have everyone write down how that object makes them feel/any associations they have with that object (ex. It feels like home, or I’ve never used this object, so it feels alien to me, or this reminds me of my grandmother)  
• Then have participants write a poem inspired by the physical and emotional descriptions of that object.  
  • If people are struggling to get started on the poem, consider encouraging them to pick one word or phrase from the list. Let that word or phrase be the first word(s) of the poem and then keep writing from there! Or try doing blackout poetry with the lists you just made. Then write another poem inspired by or responding to the blackout poem.  

🧿 Program #7: Jewish New Year/Renewal Poetry 

• Before the event, print out these poetry writing prompts for the Jewish new year.  
• Pick a few prompts for the group to focus on or print out all of them and have each person choose their own. Alternatively, you could print them and cut the prompts out into strips and have people pick a prompt at random.  
• Write poems inspired by the Jewish new year prompts! 
• Optional: Share poems out to the group at the end. 

🧿 Program #8: Shavuot Themed Poetry  

• Before the event, print out these Shavuot inspired poetry writing prompts! 
• Pick a couple prompts for the group to focus on or print out all of them and have each person choose their own. Alternatively, you could print them and cut the prompts out into strips and have people pick a prompt at random.  
• Write poems inspired by the Shavuot themed prompts! 
• Optional: Share poems out to the group at the end.