The Rabbi’s Wife: The Rebbetzin in American Jewish Life

Named a 2006 National Jewish Book Award winner, The Rabbi’s Wife explores the role of American rabbis’ wives of all denominations over the last century, beginning at a time when few women worked outside the home, and when the role of rebbetzin offered opportunities that these women might not have had otherwise. In Schwartz’s words, these women succeeded “in forging consequential lives through the “wife of” role when direct avenues of power remained largely closed to them”. Many became leaders in their own right, both inside and outside their congregation; many understood the rabbinate as a two-person career. Oral interviews provided Schwartz much useful information to round out written sources for this book which is a fascinating window into the history of American Jewish women, and of American Judaism. Among the rebbetzins presented by Schwartz are the two Hirschensohn sisters. Tamar, who married David De Sola Pool, rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, wrote and published, both in partnership with her husband and by herself, and headed Hadassah’s New York chapter before becoming national president. Tehilla married Morris Lichtenstein, founder of the Society of Jewish Science (“applied Judaism” in their words – a Jewish form of Christian Science) and, after his death, took over as head of the movement, preaching regularly on Sundays; she was the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of a congregation. At the end of the book, Schwartz discusses Esther Jungreis, who after years as a congregational rebbetzin in Woodmere, New York, became a charismatic, evangelical leader though her organization, Hineni. JOFA readers will be particularly pleased with the detailed description of the career of Blu Greenberg and her progression from congregational rebbetzin (a role she has always valued), to nationally acclaimed author, teacher and speaker to independent leader of the Orthodox Feminist Movement.