JWriters: A Monthly Jewish Writers Group
JWriters is Cincy Jewfolk’s new monthly writers group for people who want to make space for writing, reflection, and connection. Whether you’re a longtime writer or just beginning, JWriters offers a supportive, low-pressure environment to build, revisit, or start a writing practice.
This group is designed as a safe and welcoming space to carve out dedicated time to write, marrying a love of writing with Judaism, and connecting with others through creativity and shared experience. Every session will start with a Jewish theme or prompt, then expand to wherever your creativity takes you.
Writers can choose to share their work and receive feedback if they wish, but sharing is always optional. At its heart, JWriters is about showing up, putting words on the page, and building a new creative community within our community.
JWriters will be led by Melissa W. Hunter, local author, columnist, and podcaster.
Program Details
- Meeting cadence: Monthly Meet Up
- Location: Location will be shared after RSVP
- Dates: March 25 • April 29 • May 27 • June 24 • July 29 • August 26
- Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Who it’s for: Anyone with a passion for writing and a love of Judaism.
- What to bring / how to prepare:
1. Something to write with (notebook, laptop, tablet, journal . . . whatever works best for you)
2. Any current writing project you’re working on (optional)
3. Headphones if you like quiet focus or music while writing (optional)
4. Respect for others’ voices and experiences
A Welcome Note From Melissa W. Hunter, Our JWriters Facilitator
I’m excited to lead JWriters because both writing and Judaism are a source of joy in my own life. I have made a career as a Jewish writer, and I look forward to sharing the beauty, meaning, and joy of writing from a Jewish lens with others.
My hope is that this group becomes a space to write freely, connect with like-minded people, and find community.
Writing, especially in a Jewish communal space, can be a way to explore topics that live at the intersection of identity, memory, tradition, and meaning. Whether journaling, writing poetry, personal essays, or working on a larger manuscript for publication, I hope participants feel supported in their creative process and inspired to keep writing.
I am the author of two Jewish novels as well as co-host of the podcast The Kibbitz with Cincy Jewfolk. My award-winning debut novel What She Lost tells the true-life story of my grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. My latest novel, Eight Wishes, is a holiday romance that unfolds over the eight nights of Hanukkah. I am also a contributor to Jewfolk publications, and my current novel ADAM is being published on Cincy Jewfolk in serial installments. My short stories have appeared in the Jewish Literary Journal as well.
I grew up in Cincinnati and studied creative writing and journalism at the University of Cincinnati, receiving a BA in English literature and a minor in Judaic studies. My other writing has appeared on Kveller.com, LiteraryMama.com, Booksbywomen.org, the Today Show parenting website, The American Israelite, and TheSame.blog, an online literary journal written for women by women.
When not at my computer, I love spending family time with my husband and two wonderful daughters, and I am never without a cup of coffee in my hands and my Maltipoo Kugel in my lap!
Join Us
How JWriters Is Shaped
JWriters reflects one of Jewfolk, Inc.’s core values: Storytelling – Sipur Sipurim. We have a sacred obligation to link the past and future by sharing the Jewish stories of today. Through Jewfolk, Inc.’s signature Human Centered Design approach, this group is shaped by what people in our community bring to us: their questions, their needs, and their creative wants. By centering real voices and real experiences, JWriters links past and future through writing that is shared, communal, and deeply human.