Book Reviews

During the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays), we often find ourselves searching for deeper meanings and new readings of the prayers in the Mahzor (High Holiday prayer book). Toward that end, JOFA provides you with the following list of books recommended for High Holiday reading and reflection. Moments of Transcendence: Inspirational Readings for Rosh Hashanah and […]

Alyse Fisher Roller describes her book, The Literary Imagination of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Women, as an exercise in “cultural poetics.” Roller set out to examine the world of “ultra-Orthodox Jewish women” by examining the “literature” in English produced by such women. The project, she promises, will reveal “who these women are as well as what their

A study guide for women’s Rosh Hodesh groups, Moonbeams presents classical and modern Jewish sources along with analysis and discussion questions. Arranged according to month, the topics chosen often reflect some aspect of the month, such as the Tevet discussion of Jewish self-hatred in relationship to the triumph of Judaism celebrated on Hanukkah. Many of

RECENT TITLES OF INTEREST:  Life on the Fringes: A Feminist Journey Towards Traditional Rabbinic Ordination by Haviva Ner-David (JFL Media, January 2000). In this new book, Haviva Ner-David traces her personal journey towards reconciling her feminism and her passion for Orthodox observance. Included are chapters on halakha, tahara and tum’ah, and mikva, among others Rereading the

As in her previous book on Genesis, in The Particulars of Rapture Aviva Zornberg combines her knowledge of traditional Jewish sources with her background in literary analysis and philosophy. In her exegesis of the Exodus narrative she draws heavily upon the midrash of the ancient rabbis to uncover the hidden stories and emotions lurking in

This book challenges the notion that there exists a singular “feminine voice” or “feminist” reading of text. Arranged according to the weekly parsha, The Women’s Torah Commentary offers a variety of women’s perspectives and interpretations, encompassing the entire Pentateuch. Some of the essays address feminist issues that are clearly embedded in the text, such as

Drawing on the fields of anthropology, medicine, and gender studies, Sered tackles the question of why Israeli women are weaker and sicker as compared to women in other countries. She links the health problems of Israeli women to the low degree of authority they are granted over their own lives and their own bodies in

A recent ruling of the Israeli Supreme Court found that the Women of the Wall could not pray collectively at the Kotel (Western Wall). A panel of the Court had ruled in 2000 that they could pray together and read from the Torah at this historic site but the permission was reversed when the full

This collection of essays about Jewish women and head-covering ranges from Halakhic essays to personal reflections from women who find genuine spiritual and emotional rewards in covering their hair and from those who explain their difficulties in doing so. There is discussion of the different ways of covering hair, and contributions by women who are

Orthodox Jewish feminists of today are enriched by knowledge of our foremothers. There is much new research that is a window into the lives of women of the past. This volume is a wonderful introduction and source book covering many historical periods from the Ancient Near East until 1900. It both gives biographic entries of