“Lost Notebooks” at Machon Chana

A creative writing workshop was given by Robin Garbose at Machon Chana, last week.

Garbose is a filmmaker and the artistic director for Kol Neshama Performing Arts Conservatory. She is most well-known as the producer and director of the “for women only” feature films “Light of Grey Tower” and “A Heart that Sings.”

More recently Garbose has created a writing workshop based on readings of Rebbetzin Chana’s diaries. Garbose refers to them as “lost notebooks” for, as she explains, Rebbetzin Chana had wanted to burn them so that the Rebbe would not know the hardships that she and Reb Levik had gone through.

The Machon Chana workshop began with Garbose telling a little about her journey as a baales teshuva. She also described the obstacles she had to overcome in creating professional films by women for women. “It was very inspiring to hear her speak about how she persevered and didn’t allow people’s hypersensitivity to overshadow what she wanted to do and knew could be done,” said student Chava Moss.

The actual workshop, which has also been given at Bais Chana in Los Angeles and other schools, began with Garbose’s dramatic reading of a number of selections from Rebbetzin Chana’s diaries. She then discussed different forms that creative writing – and particularly poems or prose – can take. Garbose then gave the students eight minutes to write their own poem or prose. She directed them to take influence and inspiration from the readings of the diary.

Creative writing pieces of two of the students are below:
Whispers of Prose
A Poem Inspired by Rebbetzin Chana by Shaina Brandenburg-Andreasen

Whispers of prose
Giving strength with invisible hands
Whipsers of prose
Calling out Crying out
Whispers of Prose
Filled with praise and thanks
Whispers of prose
Reaching out touching throughout
Whispers of prose
Ringing louder, Resonating, Aching
Through bones and through souls
Whispers of Prose
Bring freedom and healing

Distance

by Nessia Herce

distance
time, space, experience
Who are you? Who were you?
Who am I?
connection through stories & anecdotes
distance
slowly growing smaller
there’s an idea in my mind
far from encompassing reality
but from this seed sprouts
connection
my own – not in a language or form
that others may understand
mother of mothers
my own