Madison Alexander: “Exodus”

Madison Alexander / Writing / Class of 2025

By Juliette AvRuskin

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I watched nervously as Mother swaddled my younger brother, not yet a day old. Though she was always careful not to say too much about the disaster that had befallen our people, I knew the adults were ordered to kill all boys born to them. Will you give him up to the soldiers? I finally managed to ask, horrified by the idea of my baby brother’s life being cut short. Never, she replied, resolute. For three months, I held his tiny hands, cooed at him, sang him lullabies. When the harsh knocking of the Egyptian officials sounded at the door, I held my brother and crouched out of sight, begging the Almighty to keep his infant cries quiet, as I heard my mother assure our oppressors that she had no sons, just one daughter the Eternal has gifted me. Cursing us and our foreign ways, the soldiers left. The day my brother, when we neglected our typical caution, crawled out of the house to gaze at our people’s poor dwellings with wonder, Mother and I knew we could hide him no longer. She looked at me, determined: We must send him down the river. If we have to give him up, let him live well, away from the suffering of our people. He will learn to fulfill the will of the Blessed Holy One when it is time. With my brother curled up at my side, I helped Mother weave strips of papyrus into a sturdy basket. How painful it was to think that as soon as this was finished, we would pull him from his peaceful sleep and leave him on his own! And to think that there was no guarantee he would survive his journey! That fateful day, I accompanied Mother down to the river, stepping in front of her to hide the basket in her arms when an Egyptian ship appeared. She knelt down and placed it gingerly in the water. Stay safe and remember us, I whispered to my dear brother as he floated away, smiling with his usual sense of awe at the glimmering water and mesmerizing swaying reeds around him. How long would his joy last? Mother, full of grief, put her hand on my shoulder. We should go. We cannot let them find us here, she forced out, before breaking into a violent sob, tearing her fingers through her hair. I leaned against her but remained there, standing. Watching him.

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Madison Alexander is a current Senior at St. Mary’s Academy, published author, and longtime Escribe Maria contributor. Her many works, which include a published novel, have earned her the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education Art & Writing Competition Grand Prize in 2023, among other well-deserved awards. Escribe Maria was deeply honored to host her stories and poetry in our last three editions.

In her writing process, Madison drew from her knowledge of the core Jewish text Midrash, which she lovingly refers to as “rabbinic fanfiction.” Through her experience learning about sanctified imagination in the Catholic point of view in her studies at St. Mary’s, Madison was struck by the manner in which the practice of writing embellishments to religious texts extends across beliefs. As Madison commented, “taking sacred narratives and writing ‘spin-offs’ to answer unresolved details, questions, or situations creares new readings of the texts. These interpretations can provide new Torah, literally the Hebrew word for ‘instruction’—new guidelines for how to move through the world.” In “Exodus,” Madison continued the longstanding tradition of writing interpretations and expansions on scripture to fill in a gap and elaborate on the teachings of holy writings.

Madison’s writing is a craft that she constantly seeks to perfect. She keeps a “journal-diary” of her unfinished works, ideas, and inspirations, which she humbly and humorously refers to as “unrefined (and poorly written) prose/poetry word salads that I use to process my life.” On the contrary, Madison’s work conveys a depth of emotion and experience that reflects the complexity of human connection. In addition to her beautiful characters, Madison draws inspiration from Jewish teachings that inform on how to reach “an elevated, entranced perspective of the world” and, she believes, she creates her most meaningful art after using music, movement, or liturgy to “enter this state of radical joy.” Her dedication to living with appreciation for life and with joy in the simplest things appears throughout her writing in its dedication to the simple and profound humanity of its characters. Madison’s depth of inspiration, dedication, and care in her inclusion of humanity, teaching, and joy in her work shine through in the beauty and intricacy of her finished pieces.

Through her writing, Madison sought to uplift the experiences of women in the Exodus narrative, who were often included only through Midrash, and to “celebrate the Jewish love for life.” She drew on this feeling of love for life, which she often experiences while spending time with her extended family. Madison remarks fondly on her experience with her extended family, mentioning her joy in watching relatives “revel in cherishing new babies or reminiscing about vibrant memories in which they felt most alive.” Her joy in the simple and profound act of living inspires much of her work, as does her love for her faith and tradition and her desire to include its forgotten narratives. Each of these qualities is beautifully present in Madison’s complex, deep, delightful writings.