last word
Lynn Levin
Sasha Rogelberg | Staff Writer
I n the short story “Frieda and Her
Golem,” the titular character, a lonely
rabbinical student, takes inspiration
from the Jewish lore of the golem and
builds a companion out of meatloaf
(being sure to use a kosher recipe).

The creature, with the Hebrew
word for “friend” carved into her brow
with red bell peppers, animates and
becomes Frieda’s partner. The story
ends dismally, however, with the golem
becoming a lifeless mass of meat by
Frieda’s hand.

The story, rooted deeply in Jewish folk
tradition but peppered with contempo-
rary Jewish humor and wit, is the forte
of Jewish author and Drexel University
English Professor Lynn Levin. “Frieda
and Her Golem,” as well as 19 additional
short stories, are featured in her collec-
tion “House Parties,” published by
Spuyten Duyvil, out May 1.

The collection features other Jewish
stories such as “The Husband and the
Gypsy,” which takes place in 1970s
Northwest Philadelphia. Centered
around a violinist father in a string
quartet, the story tackles the Soviet
Jewry movement advocating for the
emigration of Soviet Jews.

Though the topics of her stories
have breadth, Levin has an interest in
combining tradition and history with
modern sensibilities.

“I really like taking something ancient
and completely modernizing it,” Levin
said. Though “House Parties” is Levin’s
first published work of fiction, the
72-year-old Southampton resident has
published eight works of poetry and
translations. Even in verse, Levin draws
from the well of Jewish literature. In a
series of poems on Lilith, the mytho-
logical foil to Eve, Levin has the Jewish
demon creating an online dating profile.

28 APRIL 13, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
“She uploads a fairly recent photo/
lists herself as divorced, no children/
lies about her age, posts a profile that
makes/ no mention of her lusty past/ no
clue that her fountain has run dry,” Levin
writes in “Lilith Tries Online Dating.”
Levin has written short fiction since
2005 and finds it an opportunity to
dig deeper into characters and the
contexts in which they live.

“I got real interested in seeing where
plots would go and how I could make
characters’ personalities take them
here and there,” she said.

Levin’s stories have led her into
deep internet rabbit holes at times. For
example, for her story “Monkey Island,”
about a high school girl who becomes
stranded on a research Island in Puerto
Rico, Levin conducted research on
monkey bites.

But mostly, Levin draws inspiration
through observation. The story “House
Parties,” about a wealthy commu-
nity in the Poconos, was inspired by
Levin watching a woman jog every
day through her window during the
pandemic. If one removes the absurdity and
fantastical elements from Levin’s works,
one would find a host of flawed, yet
earnestly determined characters, many
of whom share similarities with the
author. “I like to have my characters be
thoughtful, serious people,” Levin
said. “They’re not all professionals and
geniuses, but they think deeply about
where they’re going in their lives, what
they’re going through.”
Levin grew up in an assimilated
Jewish home in St. Louis. Though she
attended a Reform temple weekly with
her family, she didn’t have her bat
mitzvah ceremony until she was 40.

“The Judaism was always there,”
she said of her upbringing. “I think
it was probably more cultural than it
was religious.”
Levin fell in love with poetry at a
young age. During her public school’s
phonics and phonetics classes, teach-
ers would encourage students to rhyme
words and create poems about nature,
putting together words like bees and
trees to create simple couplets. Levin
mastered the activity quickly, and her
little poems found places on a teach-
er’s bulletin board or in the school
newspaper. “That little encouragement meant so
much to me,” she said.

Now teaching creative writing at
Drexel, Levin is interested in where her
students find inspiration. Increasingly,
she’s found that they like to draw on
what is personal to them: internal strug-
gles, health problems and difficult times
with family or friends.

“I admire the bravery and the boldness
with which my creative writing students
engage their personal lives and their
personal struggles,” Levin said.

As a writer, it’s Levin’s goal to create a
safe space where students feel comfort-
able exploring challenging themes in
their writing.

“I always find there’s a lot of sharing in
a classroom,” she said. ■
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com Photo by Randl Bye
WEAVES TOGETHER JUDAISM
AND CREATIVE WRITING



SEASHORE SALE
LOVE where you LIV
LIVE HHT Office
609-487-7234 #1 IN NEW JERSEY
FOR LARGE TEAM
SALES VOLUME
*RealTrends 2021
9211 Ventnor Avenue, Margate
8017 Ventnor Avenue, Margate
9313 Ventnor Ave, Margate
www.HartmanHomeTeam.com OCEAN VIEWS!
ATLANTIC CITY
$725,000 BREATHTAKING VIEWS IN THIS
BEAUTIFUL OCEAN-FRONT 2
BED, 2 BATH CONDO WITH SO
MUCH TO OFFER!
NEW LISTING!
MARGATE $1,999,999
MAGNIFICENT CUSTOM-
BUILT 5 BED, 3.5 BATH
HOME ON A RARE, OVER-
SIZED LOT IN MARGATE!
NEW LISTING!
MARGATE $929,000
COMPLETELY RENOVATED
3 BEDROOM, 1.5 BATH
BEACH HOUSE WITH A LARGE
LIVING & DINING AREA!
NEW CONSTRUCTION!
MARGATE $2,299,000
SOUTHSIDE NEW CON-
STRUCTION! 5 BED, 4.5
BATHS! STEPS TO THE
BEACH, DINING & SHOPPING!
NEWLY RENOVATED!
MARGATE $1,349,000
NEWLY RENOVATED
4 BEDROOMS, 3.5 BATH
HOME WITH PARKING
AND HUGE BACKYARD!
NEW LISTING!
MARGATE $2,300,000
COMPLETELY RESTORED,
CHARMING 4 BED, 2.5 BATH
HOME PLACED ON AN
OVERSIZED CORNER LOT!
OCEAN VIEWS!
VENTNOR $1,389,000
LUXURY BEACHBLOCK
TOWNHOME WITH 5 BEDS, 4
BATHS, A 5-STOP ELEVATOR
AND A HUGE ROOFTOP DECK!
NEW CONSTRUCTION!
MARGATE $2,550,000
PARKWAY NEW CON-
STRUCTION FEATURING
5 BEDS, 4.5 BATHS AND
BEAUTIFUL WATER VIEWS!
BEACH BLOCK!
VENTNOR $1,600,000
ADORABLE BEACHBLOCK
HOME WITH 4 BEDS, 3 BATHS,
LARGE LIVING, DINING AREA
AND RELAXING SUNROOM!
NEW LISTING!
MARGATE $2,599,999
5/6 BEDROOM, 4.5 BATH
SOUTHSIDE & GORGEOUS
HOME WITH BEAUTIFUL
OCEAN VIEWS!
NEW CONSTRUCTION!
MARGATE $1,795,000
HIGH-END NEW CONSTRUC-
TION WITH 3 FLOORS AND
LOADS OF SPACE! 5 BEDS,
3 FULL BATHS!
NEW CONSTRUCTION!!
VENTNOR $3,750,000
NEW CONSTRUCTION! 6
BEDS, 6 FULL BATHS & 2 HALF
BATHS! POOL, ELEVATOR &
3 LARGE FRONT DECKS!
HOMES FOR SALE
PENN VALLEY “OAK HILL”
Call directly for updates on sales and rentals.

OAK HILL TERRACES • OAK HILL TOWER
OAK HILL ESTATES
SPRING IS HERE!!
NEW LISTING – TOWER AT OAK HILL
4th Floor, spacious, 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath. Large living room, dining room and den or office.

Eat-in kitchen, “WALL OF CLOSETS”. Sunny balcony overlooking pool, 24 hour doorman,
basement storage, SPECIAL CABLE PACKAGE; 2 gyms. Heating & air conditioning included.

NO PETS PERMITTED! April Availability: ONLY, $192,500.

Oak Hill Estates
CUSTOM BUILT/TOTALLY RENNOVATED; 1st Floor; 2 bedroom/2 bath; BEST LOCATION; living room w/
fireplace; expanded open kitchen w/custom cabinets; quartz countertops and backsplash; Custom
work station; washer/dryer; upgraded lighting; lots of closets; parking at your door. $390,000.

NEW LISTING – FOR RENT – Tower at Oak Hill
7th Floor - CORNER; 2 bedroom/2.5 bath; modern open kitchen; granite counters; breakfast bar;
new appliances; washer/dryer in unit; wall-to-wall carpet; new closets; SUNNY balcony; 24 hour
doorman; basement storage, SPECIAL CABLE PACKAGE; 2 gyms. Heating & air conditioning included.

SEPTA 44 & school bus at front door. NO PETS PERMITTED! RENT: $2,800 a month
NEW LISTING – Oak Hill Estates
Mid-level Townhouse; 2 bedroom/2 bath; open granite kitchen; washer/dryer; fireplace;
custom lighting; parking under covered balcony. Facing the woods!
REDUCED & AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY: $2,195.00 per month
FOR RENT – Tower at Oak Hill
Large corner 2 bedroom/2.5 baths; wall-to-wall carpet; washer & dryer in unit; lots of closets;
balcony overlooking pool; 24 hour doorman; basement storage, SPECIAL CABLE PACKAGE; 2 gyms.

Heating & air conditioning included. SEPTA 44 & school bus at front door. NO PETS PERMITTED!
JUST REDUCED: $2,600 a month.

NEW LISTING: Tower at Oak Hill
2nd floor, 2 bedroom/1.5 bath; modern kitchen; custom lighting; custom generous closets;
sunny balcony; washer/dryer hook-up. AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY $190,000
Realtor® Emeritus.

5 Star winner, Philly Mag
Google Harvey Sklaroff
oakhillcondominiums.com PA#RB041533-A NJ#8310118
HBSHOME@AOL.COM Office: 610-667-9999
Direct: 610-660-9999
Cell/Text: 610-613-7606
The DeSouzas
are Back
on Bustleton!
WANTED TO BUY
ANTIQUE & FINE FURNITURE
Paintings & Sculptures
THE SPRING MARKET
IS HERE!
Now is the time to list
your home with Us!
Call Andi or Rick DeSouza for an appointment
& we will deliver: Results, Not Promises!
RE/MAX ONE REALTY
Eric DeSouza, Associate Broker
Andrea DeSouza, Sales Associate
Eric Cell 215-431-8300/8304 • Bus 215-953-8800
rickdesouza70@gmail.com JEWISH EXPONENT
CLASSIFIEDS To advertise, call
215-832-0749 Also Vintage Modern,
Mission & Nakashima Etc.

HIGHEST PRICES PAID
215-663-1813 JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
29