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Jud ith Zukerman Amsterdam Days |
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Poetry
Night welcomes Madison Poet Judith Zukerman's initial disappointment at not being able to use her fluent Italian during a sabbatical spent in The Netherlands in 1994 gradually gave way to excitement as she got to know the people and started learning the intricacies of the language. During her time in Amsterdam, Zukerman came into contact with many people in the Dutch Jewish community, people who, after they got to know her, were willing to share their stories. "How many people are aware that just under 80 percent of the Jews in Holland were murdered during the war?" says Zukerman, adding that the shocking experiences people shared with her shouted out to be told. "I found myself walking with very powerful images," says the Madison poet. By the time she and husband Jerry Kaufman returned for a second year-long visit in 1999, in spite of the fact her Dutch had improved considerably, Zukerman wanted to become even more fluent, both in speaking and understanding. She decided to take lessons at a neighborhood house. "There were women from all over the world," she recalls, "ranging in age from 20s to 60s. We were there for each other, we shared from our deepest places, and our only common language was Dutch." For Zukerman, that second visit was an even richer and deeper experience. "I became comfortable in the language," she explains. "The more you go inside a language, you learn what is culturally different and you become more sensitive to the cultural nuances." Immersing herself in Dutch poetry, she also reached to song, singing with a group, most of them in their 80s and 90s. "It heightened what I did with my writing," she reveals. Lovers of the spoken word who would like to hear Zukerman read from her new book "Amsterdam Days: a journey through poetry" should be sure to stop at Mequon's Caribou Coffee (next to Bed, Bath & Beyond) at 7 P.M. tonight. Grab a cup of coffee and settle down for a riveting evening, followed by Open Mike. Renira Pachuta
is the community/religion editor of News Graphic,
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