In Conversation with Lee Kofman & Kim Rubenstein

Lee Kofman will be in conversation with Professor Kim Rubenstein on her new book Ruptured : Jewish Women in Australia Reflect on Life Post-October 7 - Lamm Jewish Library of Australia

About The Book

This powerful collection of thirty-six personal essays was written by Jewish women from across Australia in the aftermath of October 7, 2023. Prominent voices such as Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Dani Valent, Professor Kim Rubenstein, Jemima Montag, Dr Mindy Sotiri, Ramona Koval, Rabbi Jacki Ninio and Kerri Sackville, share how their lives have dramatically changed against the backdrop of the ensuing war and rising antisemitism locally and globally.

The contributors tell compelling and original tales of heartbreak and resilience, each focusing on a different aspect of recent Jewish experience. Some essays reflect on the trauma of having had family members caught in the massacre of October 7 and others on the rupturing of Jewish women’s sense of belonging in feminist spaces. Essayists describe experiencing antisemitism in the arts, the Olympic sporting arena, and across the hospitality industry and in therapy spaces; what it is like to parent Jewish children in a post-October 7 Australia; fractured friendships; turning to art for solace; and making healing connections across communities.

Woven together, the essays conjure up the age-old story of the burdens that women carry in times of upheaval, while they also mobilise their families and communities through creativity, activism, spirituality, cooking and comedy, holding on to hope despite the profound rift created on that day.

The intention of Ruptured is to preserve a historically significant time in Australia. It is also to encourage readers to consider the universal dangers of misrepresentation and marginalisation of minority groups in multicultural societies, and the corroding effects these can have on individuals.

About Lee Kofman

Dr Lee Kofman is a Russian-born Israeli-Australian author of six books and editor of two anthologies, writing teacher and mentor based in Melbourne. Her writing and reading life began a long time ago in a remote Siberian village where she recited her first poem to an admiring crowd of illiterate babushkas. What followed was decades of wrestling with the art and craft of writing and passionate reading.

Lee’s first three books, the novels Scars (1994, Tamuz) and I will love Christina (2003, Hed Arzi – Ma’ariv Guild), and a short story collection Single Woman, 32 (1999, Hed Arzi – Ma’ariv Guild) were published in Israel, in Hebrew. Since 2003, Lee has been writing exclusively in English.

Lee’s books in English include a writing and reading guide The Writer Laid Bare: Mastering emotional honesty in a writer’s art, craft & life (Ventura Press, 2022) and two memoirs: Imperfect (Affirm Press, 2019), which was shortlisted for Nib Literary Award, and The Dangerous Bride (Melbourne University Press, 2014). She has also edited three anthologies of personal essays, Rebellious Daughters (Ventura Press, 2016) and Split (Ventura Press, 2019), which was longlisted for ABIA awards, that feature prominent Australian writers. Her lates being Ruptured -2025

Lee’s numerous short stories, short creative non-fiction and poetry have been published widely in Australia, Scotland, UK, Israel, USA and Canada in such publications as Best Australian Stories, Best Australian Essays, Harper’s Bazaar, Griffith Review, Mamamia, Meanjin, Creative Nonfiction, Malahat Review and Brand. Lee also contributed to several anthologies, including Mothermorphosis (2015, Melbourne University Press, ed. Monica Dux), and Families: Modern Australian Short Stories (2008, Five Mile Press, ed. Barry Oakley).

About Kim Rubenstein

Kim Rubenstein FAAL FASSA, born 1965, is an Australian legal scholar, legal practitioner, professor, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. Rubenstein won the 2013 Edna Ryan award for Leadership for "leading feminist changes in the public sphere" and is a gender equity advocate. In 2020 she became the inaugural Co-Director, Academic of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation at the University of Canberra and a Professor in the University's Faculty of Business, Government and Law.

Rubenstein is one of Australia’s leading experts on citizenship, having written the major text, Australian Citizenship Law, acting as a consultant to government including being appointed a member of the Independent Committee that reviewed the Australian citizenship test in 2008 and appearing as legal counsel in citizenship matters before the Administrative Review Tribunal, Federal Court of Australia and the High Court of Australia. She comments on citizenship and gender matters in print, radio and TV media.

At the 2022 Australian federal election, she was an independent candidate in the Australian Capital Territory for the Australian Senate.

About the Event

• Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
• Registration is required for this event.
• Accessible parking spaces directly below the Harry Hartog ANU Bookshop are available should you require them. Parking at ANU/Harry Hartog
• If you do not feel well, please refrain from attending this event.
• Disability Access available - please ask in-store.