The groundbreaking volume The Torah: A Women's Commentary, originally published by URJ Press and Women of Reform Judaism, has been awarded the top prize in the oldest Jewish literary award program, the 2008 National Jewish Book Awards. A work of great import, the volume is the result of 14 years of planning, research, and fundraising. THE HISTORY: At the 39th Women of Reform Judaism Assembly in San Francisco, Cantor Sarah Sager challenged Women of Reform Judaism delegates to "imagine women feeling permitted, for the first time, feeling able, feeling legitimate in their study of Torah." WRJ accepted that challenge. The Torah: A Women's Commentary was introduced at the Union for Reform Judaism 69th Biennial Convention in San Diego in December 2007. WRJ has commissioned the work of the world's leading Jewish female Bible scholars, rabbis, historians, philosophers and archaeologists. Their collective efforts resulted in the first comprehensive commentary, authored only by women, on the Five Books of Moses, including individual Torah portions as well as the Hebrew and English translation. The Torah: A Women's Commentary gives dimension to the women's voices in our tradition. Under the skillful leadership of editors Dr. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Rabbi Andrea Weiss, PhD, this commentary provides insight and inspiration for all who study Torah: men and women, Jew and non-Jew. As Dr. Eskenazi has eloquently stated, "we want to bring the women of the Torah from the shadow into the limelight, from their silences into speech, from the margins to which they have often been relegated to the center of the page - for their sake, for our sake and for our children's sake." Published by CCAR Press, a division of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

One of the cornerstones of the religious Jewish experience in all its variations is Torah study, and this learning is considered a central criterion for leadership. Jewish Women’s Torah Study addresses the question of women's integration in the halachic-religious system at this pivotal intersection. The contemporary debate regarding women’s Torah study first emerged in the second half of the 19th century. As women’s status in general society changed, offering increased legal rights and opportunities for education, a debate on the need to change women’s participation in Torah study emerged. Orthodoxy was faced with the question: which parts, if any, of modernity should be integrated into Halacha? Exemplifying the entire array of Orthodox responses to modernity, this book is a valuable addition to the scholarship of Judaism in the modern era and will be of interest to students and scholars of Religion, Gender Studies and Jewish Studies.

Berkowitz examines the status of women in halacha. He offers suggestions from the tradition to improve that status, particularly in the areas of divorce, and ritual practice.

In Torah of the Mothers, contemporary women also reflect upon teachers who have personally influenced and inspired them. Rav Joseph Dov Soloveitchik, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe and Nechama Leibowitz, of blessed memories, are among the mentors who played, and continue to play, a meaningful role in their lives.

An in-depth look at the lives of religious Jewish women in Jerusalem at a transitional moment in its history.

Women at the Crossroads: A Woman's Perspective on the Weekly Torah Portion comprises 53 essays pertaining to women based on each of the weekly Torah Portions throughout the year. Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum discusses in-depth the characters and dilemmas of the women in the Torah that are relevant to the issues which women encounter today. The author explores the underlying values of laws and rituals that pertain to women by examining the inherent nature of women as presented in the Torah. Based on the intricacies of the Torah text, she shows the beauty and depth of the role of women as portrayed in the Torah and teaches the importance of women and their immense influence on society as prime movers of history. The book is divided into five chapters, corresponding to the five books of the Torah. Each chapter is divided into sections according to each Torah portion. In addition, it includes a comprehensive and useful compilation of biographies of the commentaries quoted in the book. Expounding the Torah text through methodical research of Midrash, Talmud and traditional commentators, such as Rashi and the Ramban, placed side-by-side with Chassidic masters like the Me'or v'Shemesh and modern commentators including Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum weaves together the strands that make up the tapestry of life for the contemporary woman.Rather than paying homage to the external, competitive, masculine world, the author demonstrates how Jewish women of today may look inwards to the women in the Torah for guidance in choosing their priorities in life.

"Although women constitute half of the Jewish population and have always played essential roles in ensuring Jewish continuity and the preservation of Jewish beliefs and values, only recently have their contributions and achievements received sustained scholarly attention. Scholars have begun to investigate Jewish women's domestic, economic, intellectual, spiritual, and creative roles in Jewish life from biblical times to the present. Yet little of this important work filters down beyond specialists in their respective academic fields. Women and Judaism brings the broad new insights they have uncovered to the world, presenting their work in an accessible and engaging way. Key senior scholars discuss women's approaches to Jewish law and Torah study, the spirituality of Eastern European Jewish women, Jewish women in American literature, and many other issues."--Back of book.

Rabbi Moshe Meiselman addresses the attitude of Jewish law to women and how the Jewish tradition views the contemporary challenge of feminism. He discusses in detail such current issues as creative ritual, women in a minyan, aliyot for women, talit and tefillin. The question of agunah is also given lengthy consideration. The author mixes current issues with scholarly ones and gives full treatment to other issues such as learning Torah by women, women position in court both as witnesses and as litigants, the marriage ceremony & marital life. — Amazon.com.

The first set of essays in this book discusses the longstanding debate in Jewish law on the appropriateness of women Studying the oral law. the second part consists of more personal observations by people who are involved in Jewish education.

"One picture that often comes to mind when one thinks of Torah study is a group of bearded men clad in long black coats and hats huddled around a table piled high with texts. Women do not appear in this image; if anywhere, they are in the kitchen preparing a meal, keeping the children from disturbing their fathers, or working to support the family so that their husbands can devote their energies to learning. Such is a common view as to "the role of women" in Torah study. In "And All Your Children Shall Be Learned": Women and the Study of Torah in Jewish Law and History, Shoshana Pantel Zolty helps dispel this myth." "Through an analysis of halakhic literature, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and other classical texts, as well as Jewish and general world history, Zolty explores the evolution of Jewish education for women. In each period, from biblical times through to the twentieth century, we find exceptional women, usually of rabbinic families, some of whom are cited as authorities in certain areas of Jewish law, and some of whom may have mastered the entire gamut of Torah study. The book traces the development of the legal literature pertaining to the instruction of Torah to women and the various issues surrounding it. It also discusses the twentieth-century initiative of Sarah Schenirer, the founder of the Bais Yaakov Schools, and analyzes the place of the study of Torah by women in Orthodox settings. Throughout the work, ample footnotes and source material document the veracity of the claim that women have been and are permitted to become learned." "Zolty sifts through history to accord women their rightful place in the history of Jewish education. Along the way she presents the basic philosophy of education, the role and status of women in traditional Judaism and the attitudes of scholars with respect to the religious roles of women." "For women who think that traditional study is closed to them, or for men who feel that women should not learn Torah, or for any reader seeking to fully understand the value and history of Torah study and education in Judaism, "And All Your Children Shall Be Learned" will be both eye-opening and interesting, shedding light on a long-neglected topic, the contribution of women to the study of Torah."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved