Customer Reviews

Great Jewish Women

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4 star:		(1)
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This book has a great amount of commendable material in it. It writes of Jewish women of great distinction in short yet clear autobiographical sketches. It however diminishes its own value but including a too large number of present- day celebrities and lightweight figures. It too displays a certain political bias and there are a number of very left- wing politicians here whose contribution to Jewish life is extremely questionable. I also would have like to have seen many more of the great Jewish women intellectual figures, and heroines like Avital Sharansky , Ida Nudel and others who risked their lives for the Jewish people. A very large share of the entries are of people who have no real positive connection with Jewish communal life, and who just happen to be born Jewish something a few of them are not so happy about.
There is much good stuff here.But a work of this kind could have been done with far greater emphasis on real Jewish values.

While there are some genuinely great Jewish women in this book, there are too many whose claim to greatness rests solely on fame and left-leaning politics. How is Barbara Streisand a "Great Jewish Woman"? Is it because she is a great Democtratic fundraiser? And How does Shulamit Aloni get to be great? By being an anti-Israeli Israeli? Diane Arbus (eeww) hated being Jewish and would be uncomfortable to see her name in this book if she hadn't killed herself, and Estee Lauder became a Roman Catholic........not exactly a "Great Jewish Woman".

If your idea of greatness is actresses and singers or anybody Jewish who managed to get her name in the paper than this is your book. Rosalind Franklyn and Judy Resnick constitute real greatness, while Goldie Hawn is merely famous. I would never put them in the same category.

I have been giving this as a Bat Mitzvah gift for years. Recently, 5 middle aged plus women in my congregation shared in a B'not Mitzvah Service. They were just as excited as the young ladies to get this book. It's fun watching them scan the contents and remark, "I didn't know xxx was Jewish?!" Perfect for any age. PG

This book makes a great graduation gift or other gift for any jewish woman, young or old. It illustrates the accomplishments of women and shows the adversity that they overcame to achieve greatness. Enjoyable for woman of any age.