Cyndi Norwitz
@cyndin.bsky.social
I love that Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man (#3) features an ambulatory wheelchair user. At one point, she stands up to grab something off a table and another character shouts, "it's a miracle!" Simone rolls her eyes and says: "I can walk, Martha. It just hurts."
#disability #disabledrepresentation
#disability #disabledrepresentation
December 14, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I love that Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man (#3) features an ambulatory wheelchair user. At one point, she stands up to grab something off a table and another character shouts, "it's a miracle!" Simone rolls her eyes and says: "I can walk, Martha. It just hurts."
#disability #disabledrepresentation
#disability #disabledrepresentation
Exodus Travelers: How Many Were There?
Was it really 2-3 million people like Torah suggests? Or was it perhaps something more realistic? What do you think?
Was it really 2-3 million people like Torah suggests? Or was it perhaps something more realistic? What do you think?
Exodus Travelers: How Many Were There?
As a followup to Imagine Yourself in a Crowd, let’s explore the numbers of people involved in the Exodus.
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Exodus Travelers: How Many Were There?
Was it really 2-3 million people like Torah suggests? Or was it perhaps something more realistic? What do you think?
Was it really 2-3 million people like Torah suggests? Or was it perhaps something more realistic? What do you think?
Another blog post for my middle grade fantasy novel set in the Exodus. Ever wondered where Succoth was or how to get there? Well, now you ... can argue with me about it. #torah #torahstudy #jewish
The Road to Succoth
We know the Hebrew’s first stop on their Exodus journey was Succoth.
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Another blog post for my middle grade fantasy novel set in the Exodus. Ever wondered where Succoth was or how to get there? Well, now you ... can argue with me about it. #torah #torahstudy #jewish
If you suddenly found yourself more than 3000 years in the past, would you be able to find north? What if the North Star wasn't the same? #ancientworld #astronomy #navigation #constellation #skyatnight #nightsky
Finding North in the Ancient World
In The Boat Children, American children (up to age 14) time travel from 1995 to Ancient Egypt (and later the Sinai Peninsula) around the time period 1313 BCE (no one knows the date of the Exodus, or t...
open.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:35 PM
If you suddenly found yourself more than 3000 years in the past, would you be able to find north? What if the North Star wasn't the same? #ancientworld #astronomy #navigation #constellation #skyatnight #nightsky
What day of the week was the first Passover? Let's find out.
#judaism #exodus #worldbuilding
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
#judaism #exodus #worldbuilding
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
An Exodus Calendar
What day of the week was the first Passover?
open.substack.com
August 12, 2025 at 5:31 PM
What day of the week was the first Passover? Let's find out.
#judaism #exodus #worldbuilding
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
#judaism #exodus #worldbuilding
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
How many people fit into what size space? It's all about the math. #worldbuilding
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
Imagine Yourself in a Crowd
One of the pitfalls of writing a book about large numbers of people, is you have to deal with the logistics of large numbers of people. We have the family household that shares meals and we have larg...
open.substack.com
June 14, 2025 at 5:31 PM
How many people fit into what size space? It's all about the math. #worldbuilding
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
Worldbuilding sometimes means taking a deep dive into the specifics, along with a giant helping of math. #AncientEgypt #breadmaking #worldbuilding
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
How much bread did an Ancient Egyptian eat?
And how much flour did it take to make it?
open.substack.com
May 28, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Worldbuilding sometimes means taking a deep dive into the specifics, along with a giant helping of math. #AncientEgypt #breadmaking #worldbuilding
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
Incorporating my favorite prayer song into the novel. Does it matter that it didn't exist for centuries after the events take place? #judaism #fiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
Rachamana D'Aney
During the High Holy Days season, my synagogue—and many synagogues around the world—sing Rachamana D'Aney, a heart-wrenching plea to the Almighty.
open.substack.com
May 18, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Incorporating my favorite prayer song into the novel. Does it matter that it didn't exist for centuries after the events take place? #judaism #fiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
When the world refused Jews escaping Nazi Germany, a few countries took children. The Kindertransport saved thousands of children, most of whom never saw their families again. Here is how I incorporate history into fiction. #holocaust #HistoricalFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
The Kindertransport
As Nazi Germany increased its power and scapegoated Jews and others it deemed "undesirable," many sought to leave Germany (and other countries under its control).
open.substack.com
May 14, 2025 at 9:34 PM
When the world refused Jews escaping Nazi Germany, a few countries took children. The Kindertransport saved thousands of children, most of whom never saw their families again. Here is how I incorporate history into fiction. #holocaust #HistoricalFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
Native Peoples of Yavapai County
Building ancestral profiles for my characters
open.substack.com
May 9, 2025 at 11:23 PM
More worldbuilding. Coming up with the town my story begins in.
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
The Story of Barberry Lake
I hope you’re all enjoying the posts that make up my worldbuilding. This one is about the town of Barberry Lake itself.
open.substack.com
May 6, 2025 at 4:58 AM
More worldbuilding. Coming up with the town my story begins in.
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
Worldbuilding for my novel.
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
The Lake of Barberry Lake
In my fictional town of Barberry Lake, there is a fictional lake called (wait for it) Barberry Lake.
open.substack.com
May 4, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Worldbuilding for my novel.
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
I've started a Substack newsletter/blog about my fantasy novel, The Boat Children. Subscriptions are free! (ignore the "pledge" portion that Substack adds in).
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
What is The Boat Children?
(and when can I read it?)
open.substack.com
May 1, 2025 at 1:17 AM
I've started a Substack newsletter/blog about my fantasy novel, The Boat Children. Subscriptions are free! (ignore the "pledge" portion that Substack adds in).
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
#fantasy #magicalrealism #middlegrade #JewishFiction
open.substack.com/pub/cyndin/p...
At last night's Shabbat service, I delivered the drash. It starts with a teaching on the Torah portion (Bible verses) for the week and makes it way into politics. It got a lot of positive feedback and I've now turned it into a blog post. Please share and enjoy! #torah #judaism #resistance
Seeing War: A Passover Drash
Drash for Congregation Ner Shalom‘s Shabbat service, April 18, 2025, for the start of the 7th night of Passover. by Cyndi Norwitz If you were on Zoom for Shabbat last week, you heard Rabbi Irwin te…
norwitz.net
April 19, 2025 at 7:15 PM
At last night's Shabbat service, I delivered the drash. It starts with a teaching on the Torah portion (Bible verses) for the week and makes it way into politics. It got a lot of positive feedback and I've now turned it into a blog post. Please share and enjoy! #torah #judaism #resistance
Homemade dinner. Ingredients from the Farmer's Market. Poke fish (ahi tuna & salmon) & sauce from a local fishmonger, romaine lettuce, beets, daikon radish, pea spouts, scallion, & arugula (not the carrots, homemade salad dressing, or avocado).
#pokebowl #farmersmarket #foodphotography #foodsky
#pokebowl #farmersmarket #foodphotography #foodsky
April 9, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Homemade dinner. Ingredients from the Farmer's Market. Poke fish (ahi tuna & salmon) & sauce from a local fishmonger, romaine lettuce, beets, daikon radish, pea spouts, scallion, & arugula (not the carrots, homemade salad dressing, or avocado).
#pokebowl #farmersmarket #foodphotography #foodsky
#pokebowl #farmersmarket #foodphotography #foodsky
My latest blog post for my young adult (middle grade) fantasy novel. Gendering God, about the history of Jewish worship of Gods and Goddesses, including El (Yah) and Asherah. #jewishbooksforkids #fantasy
barberrylake.com/gendering-god/
barberrylake.com/gendering-god/
Gendering God
One of the things I’ve struggled with in The Boat Children, is how to honor Judaism’s history of Goddess worship. It’s easy to assume there was no such thing, because, after all, …
barberrylake.com
April 4, 2025 at 5:02 PM
My latest blog post for my young adult (middle grade) fantasy novel. Gendering God, about the history of Jewish worship of Gods and Goddesses, including El (Yah) and Asherah. #jewishbooksforkids #fantasy
barberrylake.com/gendering-god/
barberrylake.com/gendering-god/
Winter's pomegranates, split from unrelenting rains.
Tucked under the freezer's ice.
Soon to be spring's Passover charoset.
#pomegranates #foodphotography #passover
Tucked under the freezer's ice.
Soon to be spring's Passover charoset.
#pomegranates #foodphotography #passover
March 29, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Winter's pomegranates, split from unrelenting rains.
Tucked under the freezer's ice.
Soon to be spring's Passover charoset.
#pomegranates #foodphotography #passover
Tucked under the freezer's ice.
Soon to be spring's Passover charoset.
#pomegranates #foodphotography #passover
La Jolla coastal walk in Fall. #lajolla #photography #sealions #naturephotography #seascapephotography #seascapes
March 22, 2025 at 11:06 PM
La Jolla coastal walk in Fall. #lajolla #photography #sealions #naturephotography #seascapephotography #seascapes
Because what is life without #catphotos? Siblings Logan and Rory.
#catphoto #catsofbluesky #whiskerswednesday
#catphoto #catsofbluesky #whiskerswednesday
January 16, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Because what is life without #catphotos? Siblings Logan and Rory.
#catphoto #catsofbluesky #whiskerswednesday
#catphoto #catsofbluesky #whiskerswednesday
My favorite place in the entire world. The breakwater at Seal Beach (aka Children's Cove), La Jolla, California. #lajolla #photography
January 14, 2025 at 11:26 PM
My favorite place in the entire world. The breakwater at Seal Beach (aka Children's Cove), La Jolla, California. #lajolla #photography
Begin with sunrise.
Into the chill of swift light.
Candle at sunset.
Into the chill of swift light.
Candle at sunset.
December 25, 2024 at 3:31 PM
Begin with sunrise.
Into the chill of swift light.
Candle at sunset.
Into the chill of swift light.
Candle at sunset.