Talking With Teens: A Conversation With Writer Evgenia Pasternak in Haifa

On January 11, the PKI Haifa women’s group hosted a meeting with writer Evgenia Pasternak focused on maintaining open, supportive relationships with teenage children growing up in Israel.

Pasternak, a longtime author of fiction for teens and facilitator of parent–teen literary discussions, spoke about the challenges many Russian-speaking parents face when addressing topics they themselves were never encouraged to discuss—such as personal safety, gender and identity, LGBTQ+ issues, and cultural gaps between generations.

She emphasized how literature can serve as a bridge for difficult conversations and shared practical tools for asking questions, listening, and staying present with teens.

One participant reflected: “The topic was incredibly relevant. Time flew by. Evgenia illuminated subtle moments that are often the hardest to navigate. Thank you to PKI for creating this opportunity.”