She welcomed President Obama to Athens with an invocation, led hundreds of Shabbat services at Hillel and brought dozens of Ohio University students to Tel Aviv with her summer study abroad program. Now Rabbi Danielle Leshaw continues to expand her résumé with her writing.
Leshaw, who has been director of Hillel at OU since 2002, continues to publish her work this Friday with an article in The Jewish Daily Forward about one of her favorite subjects: her children, specifically her son, Zev, 10.
The article will focus on helping children find their Jewish identity.
“I generally write when my personal experiences intersect with a larger religious or spiritual narrative,” Leshaw said.
That inspiration informed her latest piece about the intersection of her son’s emerging identity and the Pew Study on Judaism.
“There really aren’t too many subjects I would shy away from,” she said. “In fact, I tend to (be) more drawn to subjects that are considered controversial in regards to their children.”
Leshaw’s pieces have been greeted with both praise and criticism in the online comments sections.
“The first piece I ever wrote was published in Tablet Magazine about the occupation (of the West Bank),” Leshaw said. “There was a lot of criticism. I had been warned by the editor, but it was still surprising.”
Leshaw said she does not let criticism hinder her writing.
“I don’t take it too terribly personally when someone is critical in the comments,” she said. “The hardest part was when people criticized my work here at Hillel in relationship to how I discussed the occupation with my children. That equation didn’t make any sense.”
However, others find criticism harder to become accustomed to.
“I feel very frustrated on her behalf,” said Kevin Haworth, associate English professor and Leshaw’s husband. “There are sometimes vicious comments that ultimately judge us as a family.”
Leshaw’s other essays, including one published by The New York Times regarding her children’s concerns about their separation at summer camp, have been equally controversial.
“I am amazed at the levels of assumptions that people make,” Haworth said. “I think people read a 750-word essay about a certain subject and think that is our only discussion on the topic.”
Lauren Goldberg, engagement professional for Hillel at OU, fields phone calls from readers wanting to speak with Leshaw about her essays.
“I like to talk to and engage that person in conversation and let them feel heard. The topics that Rabbi Danielle writes about are challenging and are meant to bring conversation,” Goldberg said.
However, Leshaw does not let the fear of criticism stop her.
“I don’t write essays often. I focus more on my novel that’s in progress. But, I do write when I am moved by a particular issue,” she said.
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