Barbara Sofer
Short Bio
Barbara Sofer is a prize-winning journalist and author who lives in Jerusalem and who lectures frequently to Jewish and general audiences. She speaks about Israel, Judaism, women’s issues, and spirituality. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with an MA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, her byline has appeared in the New York Times, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest, Parents, the Boston Globe as well as many other publications. She has written seven books and contributed to others. Her latest book, with holocaust survivor Rena Quint, is A Daughter of Many Mothers. She is currently writing a sequel to her novel The Thirteenth Hour (Dutton and Signet)
She writes a weekend column for the Jerusalem Post that deals with the challenges and miracles of everyday life in Israel, where she moved from the United States over 40 years ago..
As the Israel Director of Public Relations for Hadassah, she has witnessed and documented the daily effort to create an island of peace and sanity within Jerusalem’s biggest medical center. Because of the prominence of Hadassah Hospital in the news, she has worked with top-tier media, including Sixty Minutes and Nightline in formulating programs that show Israel in a positive light. She contributed to the Emmy winning CNBC program “Jerusalem ER”.
Sofer appeared on Good Morning America’s new Seven Wonders of the World series as an expert on the spiritual uniqueness of Jerusalem and likes to think of herself as a “magida,” an itinerant teller of the stories of Israel, past and present. She has served as a scholar-in-residence and visiting lecture in a variety of venues, including synagogues, churches, regional conferences of Hadassah, national conventions, for communities and at schools.
Her prizes include many Rockower awards for Jewish journalism, the Sidney Taylor Award for the best Jewish children’s book, and the 2008 Eliav-Sartawi Award for creating understanding through Middle Eastern journalism. Sofer is married to scientist/writer Gerald Schroeder. They have five children.
Current Article
From Jerusalem Post
Period between Passover, Shavuot a time of education and contemplation – opinion
By Barbara Sofer
In his new book, Judaism: A Love Story, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin quotes the speaker at his elementary school graduation, who in turn quoted the famous parable of the great Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan.
“Life is like a postcard. You begin to write, but don’t have much to say, so you write large. When you get to the middle, you realize you have more to say than you thought, so you start writing smaller, words running into words, lines writing into lines. All too often, you conclude the postcard without having written your most important message. Sometimes, there isn’t enough room for your name.”
A Daughter of Many Mothers:
Her horrific childhood and wonderful life
Barbara Sofer's latest book
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