Sami Shalom Chetrit is a teacher, poet, writer and filmmaker. Chetrit was born in Morocco, raised in Israel and lives in New York City. He’s been writing and publishing poetry for thirty years, and published five books of poetry in Hebrew and one translations collection in English – Jews, by Cervana Brava, Boston. His poetry book Shirim BeAshdodit (Poems in Ashdodian) became a best seller in Israel where a musical show has been conducted based on the poems. Chetrit also published a novel, Doll’s Eye, by Hargol-Am Oved, Tel-Aviv (2007). Doll’s Eye was published in English translation by Xlibris in the US (2013). Chetrit’s known scholarly book in English – Intra-Jewish Conflict in Israel: White Jews, Black Jews – was published by Rutledge, London 2011. Chetrit produced and directed three documentary films. The recent one – Shattered Rhymes: the Life and poetry of Erez Bitton – is about the renowned Moroccan born Israeli poet, inspiration to Chetrit’s generation in Israel. Chetrit teaches Hebrew and Middle Eastern studies at Queens College, CUNY.
