By Adina Samuels
During the opening conference in Caesarea, we were privileged to hear from Sarah Tuttle-Singer, journalist and Media Editor at the Times of Israel. She articulated the necessity of writing authentically. She stressed that each of us have a story worth telling, from which others can learn and empathize. She described her aliyah experience, the challenges that came along with it and how she went about overcoming them and using what she learned to improve her writing.
Writing has always been a passion of mine and I have only recently started thinking seriously about the potential career paths that could incorporate my writing. I find it difficult to publish emotional pieces because of the personal content. I plied Sarah with questions as to how to overcome the restricting vulnerability I feel with regards to my work. I still struggle to feel confident enough in my creative writing to share it. I told Sarah that I’m much more confident in sharing my work with strangers than with family members or friends. I explained to her that I believe in my writing but, for a reason I can’t name, have a difficult time sharing it and having others know my inner thoughts.
Sarah understood my problem, and suggested writing under a pseudonym. That still wasn’t satisfying to me, as it is my work and my words and I’m not trying to be anyone else. She understood this, too, and encouraged me to keep writing, whether it be just for myself or for an audience.
As an aspiring writer, I challenged Sarah to defend her- and all authors’- right to tell her story. She elaborated on her overall message- that any story can be worth telling. As I reflected on this, I realized that in this world that becomes smaller with every Facebook friend and LinkedIn connection, perhaps there are people who can and want to learn from me, and from whom I can learn as well.
Israel as the context in which to write adds another dimension to my words. It is a complicated place that has layers that are begging to be peeled. Perhaps I can take part in representing a fraction of those layers with good old fashioned pen and paper. This semester I am trying to be brave. I will try to use the pen as my sword to portray myself and Israel, and myself in Israel, at our best, our worst and everything in between.
I hope, as I continue to learn from the speakers throughout the semester, that I will be ready to take the next step in my writing career in my attempt to articulate my journey as part of the universal human experience.
