Inspirations of Israel

About the Book

Inspirations of Israel is a poetry collection that considers the peoplehood of the Jews, from their origin as Hebrew clans and their development as wandering Israelites, to their modern incarnation as a community split along religious and geographic lines. It spans the vast range of religion, politics, history, landscape, culture, and love, as seen through the eyes of a Jew born in the Diaspora who must examine the contemporary people and State of Israel in light of an Orthodox religious upbringing. What emerges from these artistic reflections is a love for the land, its rolling hills and winding valleys, its modern marvels and ancient ruins, its lengthy history and varying topography. Also apparent is an abiding appreciation for the Jewish People whose extensive story is replete with events of momentous significance for all humanity. Furthermore, it treats with seriousness the relatively recent schisms between religious and secular, conservative and liberal, East and West. Inherent in these words of fervor are powerful images of the Holy Temple, the Holy City of Jerusalem, the sanctity of the Sabbath, and the weighty destiny of a society consecrated to morality and ethics. Rites and rituals are described in terms of love and devotion, with God as groom and Israel as bride. Verses cry out for salvation and peace, unity among brethren, and for a greater understanding of Jewish culture and experience. Shortcomings and hypocrisies are neither denied nor overlooked—the author tackles these controversies head-on and with genuine thoughtfulness. Through the lens of Judaism and the Land of Israel, then, these odes amount to an exploration of man’s relationship with nature, with other human beings, with his place in the global mosaic, and with a higher power. Respectful of historical episodes and the chronological progression of civilization through the often turbulent ages, the author establishes loving-kindness as the common denominator uniting disparate subjects. Though the pieces herein take turns representing various opinions and positions with regards to modern politics and religious practice, the reader never loses sight of the underlying thread of goodwill, compassion and positiveness that permeates throughout. The romantic love poems, though luscious and sensual, are often manifested creatively through exquisite Biblical or liturgical themes. In sum, Inspirations of Israel is about love and prayer, zeal and indifference, history and politics, places and persons. These are lyrical, ardent expressions of intense human longing, communicating in poems of prose and verse the soulful struggles and burning desires common to all mankind.

About the Author

Brandon Marlon is a playwright, screenwriter and poet from Ottawa, Canada. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and received his B.A. in Drama from the University of Toronto. His stage plays received development in Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and Ottawa, and his script The Bleeding Season won the 2007 Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition. His poetry has been published in Canada and the U.S. in various publications including The Canadian Jewish News, Streeteaters, Poetica, Yalla Journal and The Bulletin. Brandon also graduated from the WUJS Institute’s Arad Arts Project, and now lives in Jerusalem.