The Gallery: Prose
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UNTITLED, Wendy Kalman
About the artist: By day, Wendy Kalman is the Director of Engagement Resources for Hadassah The Women's Zionist Organization of America. In her spare time, she engages in genealogical research and occasionally writes, including through a Times of Israel blog under the Atlanta Jewish Times banner and, in the last few years, having her essays and poetry published in different anthologies.
BEAUTIFUL HEART OF THE WORLD, Nechama Birnbaum
A note from the artist: Beautiful Heart of the World was written to be a picture book with the illustrations partnering with the text to tell the story. However, that has not yet come to fruition. I am hoping the words may stand on their own. I wrote this story soon after my grandmother died, and my son was born. I named my son after my grandmother’s grandfather because he instilled so much love and confidence into my grandmother; I believe that is what empowered her to survive. My grandmother then gave me so much love which made me believe in myself when times were hard. I hope to pass that love on to my children as well. This is the story of how one grandfather’s love not only empowered my grandmother, but generations. I dedicate this story to my great grandfather…and my son. When I saw the theme Dor Ldor, it made me think of my story. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share it here.
About the artist: Nechama Birnbaum is the author of the award-winning, bestselling book, The Redhead of Auschwitz. Her work has been translated into eleven languages. She holds a Master of Science in Nutrition. She teaches Creative Writing at Manhattan High School for Girls. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and three kids and spends her time writing, teaching, and reading piles and piles of picture books.
A SESTINA OF GRIEF AND LEGACY, Sasha Perelman
A note from the artist: This essay grew out of a chapter in my memoir, The Longest Road (2025), where I explored how my aunt Anya's ingenuity secured exit visas for twenty-three members of our family from the Soviet Union in 1979. Writing the book brought me face to face with how much of my family's history lived not in full stories, but in silences. Fragments overheard. Details mentioned in passing at a Passover seder, then never again. The theme of l'dor v'dor felt like a direct invitation to look at what that transmission actually looks like. Anya never framed what she did as heroism. She called it necessity. That humility, and the radical ingenuity behind it, is the inheritance I carry. This essay is my attempt to name it, honor it, and pass it forward.
About the artist: Sasha Perelman is a writer, speaker, experiential producer, and first-generation American Jewish woman whose work sits at the intersection of identity, healing, and what we carry from those who came before us. Born in Brooklyn to parents who fled the former Soviet Union, she has spent her life translating the stories she inherited into fuel for her own path forward. Her memoir, The Longest Road (2025), traces the arc of her family's journey from the USSR and the threads, spoken and unspoken, that shape who we become. It is an exploration of resilience, transformation, and the courage required to know where you come from so you can choose where you are going. As a speaker and storyteller, she brings that same spirit to stages and communities, writing and speaking about survival, identity, and the art of finding a way through. She is based in Los Angeles, California. Learn more at sashaperelman.com.
UNBORN, Jan Lauren Greenfield
About the artist: Jan Lauren Greenfield is an award-winning screenwriter, author, and podcast producer (Perfect Jewish Parents). She is also the author of StonerKatz, an adult coloring book available on Amazon. She has led teams to Signal Award Gold and Silver Wins and multiple Rockower Awards from the American Jewish Press Association. Her work has been featured in the Jerusalem Biennale, Italian Vogue and reflects a distinctive voice that blends humor, humanity, and emotional depth. She holds a BA in American Literature from Middlebury College and a Master’s from Pratt Institute.
FAKAKTA POT, Jessica Feder-Birnbaum
A note from the artist: Fakakta Pot is inspired by my Grandmother's soup pot which I still use.
About the artist: Jessica Feder-Birnbaum is a New York City based playwright, author and screenwriter. Her work has appeared on stage, video, community based settings, print, and virtually.
FROM GHETTO TO DETROIT, Nathanel Robbins
A note from the artist: This piece was inspired by my family’s journey through the Holocaust and their life after immigrating to the United States. From my grandmother’s childhood in the ghetto to my great-grandparents’ perseverance in rebuilding their lives in Detroit, I wanted to explore the theme of l’dor v’dor—the passing of identity, culture, and resilience from generation to generation. The smells, sounds, and textures of their lives—the fabrics my great-grandmother sewed, the pickles my great-grandfather sold—carry deep meaning and reflect the enduring spirit of the Jewish people. Through this story, I hope to honor their legacy and show how memory, tradition, and courage can be carried forward, inspiring future generations to preserve and celebrate their heritage.
About the artist: Nathanael Robbins is the great-grandson and grandson of Holocaust survivors, committed to preserving and sharing their stories. Born and raised in Detroit, he has dedicated his life to honoring his family’s legacy and ensuring their experiences continue to inspire future generations. Through volunteer work and storytelling, he seeks to celebrate Jewish identity, resilience, and culture, keeping alive the lessons and traditions passed down through his family.
THE PLAQUE, Sydni Small
A note from the artist: In her book, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, Natalie Goldberg said, “In knowing who you are and writing from it, you will help the world by giving it understanding.” Our Jewish narratives shape our own perception and illuminate us as co-creators of the world’s story. Identity and memory grapple in the enduring complexity of Jewish life.
About the artist: Living on the traditional and current land of many Native Peoples, including the Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Potawatomi Nations, Sxdni Small was raised in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin household filled with a passion for words and learning. They are a member of the Wisconsin Writers Association. Their work has appeared in Creative Wisconsin Magazine, ICA Update, The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle and on The Jewish Writing Project as well as other venues.
I AM A JEWBAN, Sig Menchel
A note from the artist: Memories of my fathger, one of many unsung heroes.
About the artist: Retired physician born in Brooklyn and currently living in Southern California.
I’M A BUBBE. OR AM I?, Tema Frank
A note from the artist: This work was inspired by my struggles with my Jewish identity, having grown up in a secular world knowing no other Jews.
About the artist: Tema Frank has been a writer from the time she penned her first book of stories and poems for her Grade Two teacher who was in hospital. The author of two award-winning business books (PeopleShock: The Path to Profits When Customers Rule and Canada’s Best Employers for Women: A Guide for Job Hunters, Employees and Employers), she is now writing her first work of historical fiction, about a young socialist activist in Revolutionary-era Russia and New York. A former freelance journalist and communications innovator, in 2001 Tema (whose name rhymes with Emma) founded Web Mystery Shoppers Inc., the world’s first company to test web-related marketing effectiveness. She began blogging in the early 2000s and podcasting in 2012. An acclaimed international speaker, Tema loves to travel, and has spoken and taught in Canada, the United States, France, Kuwait, Mexico and South Africa. You can find her at https://temafrank.com, on Instagram @temafrank, and on Facebook.
