Jewish Women in Australia Reflect on Life Post-October 7
The world feels ruptured, but sometimes it is through the cracks that the light gets in.
This book brings together 36 raw, honest essays by Australian Jewish women from all walks of life — some well-known voices, others first-time authors. Created in the spirit of lived experiences, each piece sheds light on a unique Jewish experience: from confronting antisemitism on the sports field to finding healing through comedy, and so much more.
ABOUT RUPTURED
In this powerful collection of personal essays, thirty-six women, including Ramona Koval, Dani Valent, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Kerri Sackville, Deborah Conway and Rachelle Unreich, reveal how their lives in Australia were irrevocably changed by the events of October 7. From race-walker Jemima Montag’s account of encountering hostility when she speaks against Jew-hatred, to actress Dena Amy Kaplan encountering hostility when she speaks against Jew-hatred, and author Elise Esther Hearst’s attempts to find solace in making comedy, Ruptured is both an exploration of the profound rift created in the wake of that devastating day, and an attempt to mend it.
About the Editors
Lee Kofman
Dr Lee Kofman is the author of six books, including a book on writing, The Writer Laid Bare (Ventura Press, 2022), memoirs Imperfect (Affirm Press, 2019), which was shortlisted for Nib Literary Award, and The Dangerous Bride (Melbourne University Press, 2014). She is the co-editor of Rebellious Daughters (Ventura Press, 2016) and editor of Split (Ventura Press, 2019), which was longlisted for ABIA Awards – anthologies of memoir by prominent Australian authors. Her short works have been widely published in Australia and overseas. Lee regularly speaks at literary events, judges literary awards, and is an experienced writing mentor and teacher of writing.
Tamar Paluch
Tamar Paluch trained as an occupational therapist with a focus on disability rights and community development. The events of October 7 propelled her into women-led activism. She co-founded the International Women’s Day platform and the community writing initiative A Year Like No Other to help document history and amplify women’s voices during complex times. Ruptured brings together these projects and her enduring love of writing and editing—especially on themes of grief, memory, and identity. Tamar has lived with her husband and two daughters in Tel Aviv, New York City, Melbourne, and Los Angeles, experiences that deeply inform her work.