In April, Lilith Magazine’s staff found themselves discussing the intense feelings of isolation that they were experiencing during quarantine. What practices were we turning to ground ourselves? How were we connecting with friends and family when we could no longer be in the same space together? Two Lilith staff members, Rachel Fadem and Rebecca Katz, discovered a joint love of zine making that allowed them to wrestle with all the uncertainties surfacing at the beginning of the pandemic– and find time for joy. As a result, Lilith’s Jewish Feminist Quaranzines Maker Space was born.

On Tuesday, July 14 and July 28, 8-9 PM Eastern, join Lilith to explore questions at the intersection of art, justice, and Judaism through the feminist medium of zines. RSVP Here.

Zine, short for magazine or fanzine, is a self-published work motivated by the self-expression of the creator. From their creation in the 1930s to today, zines have been a radical, disruptive tool dedicated to sharing narrative, voices, and information ignored or erased by mainstream media.

A (Very) Brief History of Zines!

At their core, Zines are small-circulation, self-published works of original or collaged texts and images that are typically reproduced on a photocopier. The medium of zines has spanned decades and been a medium for sharing and amplifying marginalized experiences and voices in music, science fiction, and social justice movements Zines share undocumented people’s rights when targeted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, encourage the formation of women’s punk bands in the ’90s as part of the Riot Grrrl feminist punk movement, share how to gain access to abortions, and more. It can be said that zines hold a similar goal as Lilith, to disrupt the status quo. 

Zines are economically friendly–and that’s the point. Zines are typically free or low-cost and a quintessential aspect of the form is that they have to be able to be self-published, as well as be non-for-profit. At Lilith’s workshops, we create one-page zines folded from a single sheet of paper into an eight-page zine. Zines have always been a time and place for radical imagination, creative practice, community organizing, and a celebration of freedom of information by radical voices. Zine-making is a way to share your narrative without it being filtered by anyone else. 

Curious to learn more? We love the Barnard Zine Library!

It’s About the Process 

Lilith’s Jewish Feminist Quaranzine events are at their core, a space to combat isolation and alienation through the creative process. They allow us to share our stories and narratives during this challenging time and give us the knowledge that we can use the arts as a path to change. The best part of these events is that zines are relatively easy to make, no artistic experience is needed or required, all that is needed is a desire to tell a story in a new medium. This is just as much about the process of creating as it is about the product. These events are open to feminists of all genders and religions.

Read what participants have to say:

“Lilith’s Feminist Quaranzines has been a grounding and nourishing space of self-connection and exploration during the COVID-19 crisis. It has been thrilling to learn about the radical history of zines and to feel so welcomed into such a fruitful and subversive practice of artmaking and community building. Every session contains a fact I never heard before, a rad feminist soundtrack, and an easy Zoom-and-chill vibe.” -mads deshazo

 “As a newish zine maker, I have loved the space that Lilith’s Jewish feminist quarantine gatherings provides. Rebecca brings the perfect combination of gentle instruction, fun prompts, great music, and community. Thank you for fueling my zine making obsession!” -Debbie Bamberger

We invite you to join us at these wonderful zine-making events! The next session is on Tuesday, July 14th from 8-9 pm EST. RSVP Here: https://bit.ly/zineswithlilith