“Excellent international poetry journal...“ – Choice Magazine
For over 40 years, SHIRIM, the first Jewish Poetry Journal in the U.S., has sought poetry from around the globe that reflects the tensions, contradictions and marvels of Jewish experiences. The late Stanley Chyet, a founding advisor, described SHIRIM as “poetry of Jewish reference.” No attempt was made to create a single or dominant point of view — the poems that have appeared in its pages are the thoughts and reflections of the creative mind looking at the Jewish experience. Towards these ends, SHIRIM has published poetry from Israel, England, Canada, France, Romania, Poland, Latin America and other countries, in addition to the United States.
“A local poetry magazine has published what may become a little classic... It’s a collection that I intend to keep.” — Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times
“SHIRIM has an informal look to it, with a distinct whiff of the counterculture ethic of the ‘60’s and the alternative press movement, as well as a touch of the havurah spirit...” — Robert Leiter, Jewish Exponent
Libraries which have included SHIRIM in their collections include:
American Jewish Univ., Bar-Ilan Univ., Boston Public Library, Brown Univ., Cincinnati Public Library, Columbia Univ., Cornell Univ., Harvard Univ., Hebrew Union College, Jewish Theological Seminary, L.A. Public Library, Montreal Jewish Public Library, National Library of Israel, N.Y. Public Library, Ohio State Univ., Princeton Univ., Spertus College, State Univ. at Binghamton & Buffalo, Toronto Reference Library, UCI, UCSD, Towson Univ., Univ. of Delaware, Univ. of Florida, Univ. of Iowa, Univ. of Miami, Univ. of Texas, Univ. of Wisconsin, Yale Univ., Yivo Institute for Jewish Research
“Some days, the mail delivers lovely surprises. Recently, Writers West received a copy of SHIRIM, the first Jewish poetry journal in the United States.” — Betty Abell Jurus, Writers West