The Voices Israel Group of Poets

in English

To all our returning visitors: welcome to our new website!

We now have a top menu with sub-menus  (the little arrow beside a menu item tells you whether it has a sub-menu or not). Note that the top menu items are also clickable – e.g. you can click on About Voices as well as on the items in its sub-menu.

Who We Are

Voices Israel is the natural home for Israeli poets writing in English, and for those abroad who support our goals and share our enthusiasm for poetry. From our initial launch by four founders in 1971, we have grown to a membership of 160 poets in Israel and many other countries.  We are a fully-accredited and approved organization registered since 1993 with the Israel Organizations Authority.  


For fuller information: 

What We're Doing

We're just about to hold our next workshop: "Imagery, Imagination and Poems that Build to a Series." Led by Dr. Judy Belsky -  poet extraordinaire and an amazing teacher of poetry writing - the workshop will take place on December 17th in Jerusalem. Click here for full details.

Wondering what our workshops are like? Take a look at the Workshops section of our website.
Recent and upcoming events
We recently launched our 2018 Anthology with a wonderful evening at the Karaoke Bar, Netanya.
Our  yearly anthologies contain the poems voted by our Editorial Board  to be the best of those submitted.   Interested? For more information, including details of how to order copies, see our Anthology page.
The submission period for the 2019 Anthology opens on December 16th. 
Details of how to submit are on the 2019 Anthology Submissions page. 
All our groups are holding meetings this month -  details are in the Newsletter sent to all our
members. Would-be members who'd like to visit a meeting: please see our Contacts page to get in
touch with your local group coordinator.
A panel of three independent judges is currently judging entries to the Reuben Rose
competition. Results are expected  around end December. Watch this space! The three winners will receive cash prizes totalling $700 and publication of the winning poems. Ten Honorable Mentions will also be awarded, with publication of the poems.

What our Members Have Been Doing: congratulations to:

Awards and Publications: Congratulations to:
Pesach Rotem, whose poem "Comforting Pats" was published in The Poeming Pigeon: In the News
Matthew Anish, USA, who had two poems published in the November issue of Beyond Bree, a Mensa publication, and before that, two poems published in the July-August issue of The Amulet.
Esther Cameron, on the publication of the third and final installment of her article "Put Down That
Smartphone and Listen" in  Sasson Magazine; and for being interviewed by Rivka Levy, founding editor of that magazine.
Seymour Mayne, whose book In Your Words: Translations from the Yiddish and the Hebrew (Ronald P. Frye & Co.) received a Canadian Jewish Literary Award for outstanding book in 2018.
Ricky Rapaport Friesem, who has won First Prize in the nonfiction category of the Tiferet Journal 2018 writing contest for her submission “What’s in a Name?”
David Silverman, whose short story “Elvis Helps Me Courting” was chosen as one of the 12 winning stories in the ESRA Magazine Short Story Competition 2018.
Bernard Mann, for the interview with him in ESRA magazine's Sept/Oct/Nov issue about the writing of his book David & Avshalom, Life and Death in the Forest of Angels.

Come Join Us!

We're always happy to welcome new and established (yes and would-be) poets into our family!

  • To attend a local meeting to try us out - contact your local Coordinator.
  • To become a member of Voices Israel - fill in our membership form and send it in - full details
         are in the form. Note that we charge a modest annual membership fee, which covers our costs 
         and entitles you to a free copy of the Anthology and reduced fees for workshops.