Literatureאסתר שקלים

Esther Shkalim

Esther Shkalim is an Israeli Mizrahi feminist poet and a researcher of the traditions of Jewish communities.

born 1954Mizrahi feminist poetryThe book SharkiaResearch on Persian Jewish customs

Born: 19 January 1954, Tehran
Occupation: poet, Judaic scholar
Education: Bar-Ilan University, University of Washington, Tel Aviv University

Esther Shkalim was born in 1954 in Tehran

Esther Shkalim was born in Tehran on January 19, 1954, to Nurit and Peretz Shkalim. In 1958 the family moved to Israel. Her father became a carpet dealer and owned a chain of stores.

After national service she earned a BA in literature and history at Bar-Ilan University. She married, had 3 children, and later divorced. She earned an MA at Washington University in the United States and a PhD in Jewish history at Tel Aviv University.

She began writing poetry in the early 1990s, while living in the United States for her husband's work. Her research covers the customs of Jewish communities, with a focus on Persian Jews. She was the founding manager of the Center for Jewish Heritage at the Eretz Israel Museum and a guide on Jewish art for the Ministry of Education.

Her poetry deals with East and West and the status of women in Persian and Mizrahi culture, in dialog with the Bible and other Jewish texts. Her book Sharkia is largely autobiographical and is part of the school literature curriculum in Israel.