Poet, translator, and painter
Poet, translator, and painter. She holds a Ph.D. in English and comparative literature from Stanford and was a Fulbright Scholar and postdoctoral fellow in Bible and Hebrew literature at the Hebrew University. She was a professor of literature, creative writing, and Jewish studies for three decades.
Marcia is known in the progressive Jewish world for her poetic re-creations of Hebrew and English liturgy from a nonhierarchical perspective. Her bilingual prayer book, The Book of Blessings: New Jewish Prayers for Daily Life, the Sabbath, and the New Moon Holiday, is used by congregations in North America, Europe, and Israel. Excerpts appear in the prayer books of the major non-Orthodox denominations.
Marcia’s latest book is The Days Between: Blessings, Poems, and Directions of the Heart for the Jewish High Holiday Season (Brandeis University Press, 2014). Her other books include a renowned translation of the Song of Songs and translations of the Yiddish modernist Malka Heifetz Tussman and the Hebrew mystic Zelda.
