I met Ilene at a Writer’s Workshop she was hosting here in Jerusalem and that was recommended to me by a friend.

I enjoyed it immensely.

Firstly, Ilene is simply charming. Sweet and down to earth she was able to aim her workshop at both beginners and more advanced writers.

Her unique qualities invited everybody to participate and read their work aloud without feeling daunted or pressured in any way.

Because the group was very heterogeneous, the pieces being read as well as the feedback would transpose you across worlds and back in a single session. I was able to learn that each writer is a world unto her/himself and that every writer’s style is inherently unique. So though there is much to learn from the masters, one must allow themselves to create from within. It all of a sudden seemed clear to me that if you read and write enough and are bold enough to look inside yourself and write about it, magic will doubtlessly happen.

Apart from making sure the group got each other’s writing pieces before the workshop so that valuable time wouldn’t be wasted, Ilene gave each of us the opportunity to write an outline of an idea that we had for a project and meet with her personally to discuss its future. For me this was the whip cream topping for what already was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Special one-on-one time with Ilene provided me with the direction and motivation I needed to continue with my project. I will always be grateful to her.

Last night I received an e-mail from Ilene notifying me that she will be running two workshops beginning at the week of October 23rd.

One will be held at Pardes on Tuesday nights from 8-9:30 p.m., and the other will be at Tmol Shilshom on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 -11:30 a.m.

If you are looking for an enriching writing experience here it is.

While I’m not sure if my schedule will allow me to participate, I am so excited for those writers who will have the opportunity to meet Ilene each week, sharing time, space and words.

Oh, did I mention that Ilene has been a writer and a journalist for 18 years. That she was a staff writer for The Christian Science Monitor for more than a decade, and has also had work
published in The New Republic, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer,
The Guardian, Haaretz Books, Moment, Tikkun and Zeek? Well she is currently deputy
editor and columnist at The Jerusalem Report and has taught creative writing at
the Hebrew University and at the Pardes Institute. She also teaches journalism for NYU-
Tel Aviv. Her first novel is due to be published in June 2012 by Halban Books.

I wish her much success and can’t wait for her book to come out!

If you’d like more information you can get in touch with Ilene at ileneprusher@mac.com or visit her website which I love at http://www.ileneprusher.com.