The poems were written by three of the earliest English-language poets to settle, as Israelis, in Jerusalem: Robert Friend (1913-1998), Shirley Kaufman (1923-2016), and Dennis Silk (1928-1998). (More information about the poets is available on the walls and in the printed materials.) Besides raising interest in the lives of these poets, their words challenge us to engage with interesting tensions—such as the overlap of nationalistic forces and oleh (immigrant) experiences, the simultaneously minor and global status of English in Israel, and alternative angles to address seemingly inevitable cycles of violence.

The images accompanying the poems in these prints were created by two noteworthy Jerusalem-based artists: Sara Benninga and Meydad Eliyahu. After helping pick the poems, they fashioned slides that were used, at the Jerusalem Print Workshop, to create a series of screen-printed artworks. This process—layering paint to construct figures and words—culminated in the limited-edition series of eye-catching prints exhibited here. These colorful images add more inviting layers to these poems, tempting people to read, reinterpret, and simply enjoy these words—now adorned with enchanting figures.

This project embraces this often negligible lens of local English-language poetry to express a deep-seated commitment to Jerusalem culture. Expanding the capacity of these poems as invitations, a number of events will be organized throughout the exhibition—check in with the Jerusalem Biennale for details.

We invite you to join us and experience anew the deep connection between Jerusalem and its poetry!