By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California — Guri Stark, Alecia Rodney and Michael Moskowitz are the three poets to be featured in the Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, program in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family JCC.
Their presentations will be followed by a half hour of open mic, during which audience members are invited to share one of their works. The evening will end with a reception for all, catered by members of the Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices Committee. The programs are moderated by Joy Heizmann. Register at: lfjcc.org/seniors
Guri Stark was born in Israel and earned his engineering degree from the Technion in Haifa. His illustrious career as a high-tech engineer and administrator was paralleled by one of watercolor artist, author of books and performer on the harmonica and guitar. He is also a lecturer on art history. Currently retired from his engineering career, where he served last as CEO of a company that developed devises to diagnose brain disorders, he recently published a book of poems in Hebrew, Shloshim Shirim Mebapanim, illustrated by his line drawings. He will be reading his Hebrew poetry, preceding each with its English translation.
Alecia Rodney is a native San Diegan who received an undergraduate degree in Quantitative Economics from UCSD and a Masters in Economics from the University of Michigan. Rodney has been writing poetry for over 30 years, mostly personal narrative and about family.
Parenting two sons in the 1990s inspired children’s poetry, and in 2023, going through a gender transition, she read and performed her poetry for audiences.
Two poems, published in the Poets Underground Anthology, Volume 2, earned her the designation of featured poet and a prize of $500.00.
Michael Moskowitz was born in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Queens College with a BA in Psychology and three years later, earned his MA in Psychology from the United States International University in San Diego. Michael began writing poetry in 2021 after attending the funeral of a friend’s father. His poems are published in a book titled, Life in Lyric that was released in 2023 and includes interpretive illustrations by three Jewish teenage artists.
Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices is in its 17th season. The next two programs are March 4, featuring Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel, Rebecca Leeman, Aaron and Milo Wolpoff; and May 6, featuring Stewart Florsheim, Simon Patlis and Adam Shames. These programs, showcasing the poets of our community, are complimentary.
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Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.