Bridging the Divide

Raised in a Ladino-speaking family of Bulgarian Jewish immigrants, Pinhas- Cohen fuses the ancient Sephardic chant of her childhood with the contemporary rhythm of Israeli life. This singular talent for bridging the ancient and the modern sets her apart from most other Hebrew poets of her generation. Secular in style and spirit, yet rooted in the life cycle of religious Judaism, Pinhas- Cohen’s poems portray everyday life in modern Israel through a sacred yet personal language. Awarded the coveted Prime Minister’s Prize for her poetry, Pinhas-Cohen is a poet whose verse in English translation is long overdue.

This bilingual collection offers readers a careful selection of poems from each of her seven published volumes. Hart-Green has worked closely with the poet herself on these translations, several of which have appeared in journals such as the Jewish Quarterly and the Toronto Journal of Jewish Thought. Her lively translations display the dazzling breadth and depth of Pinhas-Cohen’s oeuvre, making Bridging the Divide not only the first but the definitive English-language edition of this vital Hebrew poet’s work.