Found in Translation
The Hebrew word acher (other) holds within it the word ach (brother), signaling an intertwined connection between the familiar and the unfamiliar, the I and the Thou. Embedded in shared letters (א-ח), ach and acher also come from different roots (א.ח.ר - א.ח.י), highlighting the individual expression of voices and the inherent tensions between brother and other.
Dahlia Ravikovitch’s poetry has been described as, “deliberately blurring the boundaries between self and other.”
1. What aspects of acherut (otherness) are expressed in the poems?
2. When have you experienced acherut (otherness) in your own life?
3. How has experiencing otherness challenged you? How has it strengthened your sense of self?
Credits: Image 1, Rachel Oran; Image 3, Anat Wiess; Image 4, Orit Zurer Kidron