Rachel's Daughters: Newly Orthodox Jewish Women [Paperback]

Debra Renee Kaufman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A feminist and a sociologist, Kaufman was intrigued by those American ba'alot teshuvah (newly Orthodox Jewish women) who had come of age during the counterculture and the birth of the women's movement but who, in the 1970s and 1980s, embraced a patriarchal Orthodox Judaism. Although her book, for the most part, is an academic study, she offers accessible composite portraits of ba'alot teshuvah and some valid interpretations that should interest a wider audience. Disillusioned and threatened by the pursuit of personal fulfillment over commitment and obligation, the women under study claim that Jewish Orthodoxy replaces the "masculine ethos" of aggression and self-importance with a "feminine ethos" that stresses modesty and community. While many of the women say they reject feminism, Kaufman found that they resemble some feminists of the last century in that they insist on family-centered values for the community at large and hold men accountable to these. For ba'alot teshuvah, says Kaufman, sexuality and motherhood are communal acts; the women link the sexual and the sacred, and some contend that the family purity laws represent the purity rites surrounding the entrance to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

For this comprehensive study of ba'lot teshuva --Hebrew for women who have returned to Orthodox Judaism--the author interviewed 150 newly Orthodox Jewish women over a three-year period in the mid-1980s in five major urban areas across the United States. Kaufman, a professor of sociology and a feminist, was curious why these women would have adopted a form of Judaism that is often assumed to be oppressive to women. Kaufman discovers that newly Orthodox women perceive their role in society as more liberating than oppressive; they speak about their search for shared meaning and order and their finding it in orthodoxy. Complete with scholarly notes, this in-depth sociological study is highly recommended for general and scholarly audiences, and those concerned with current religious life and practices.
- Molly Abramowitz, Silver Spring, Md.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (April 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813516382
• ISBN-13: 978-0813516387
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #949,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Women and Judaism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful read, March 2, 2005

By 

Lisa (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rachel's Daughters: Newly Orthodox Jewish Women (Paperback)

If you're interested in becoming an Orthodox Jewish woman, or are simply curious why young women have turned to the Jewish Orthodoxy, this book is for you. Also, if just you feel that you cannot fathom the highly-structured world of Orthodox Judaism, this book is a great starting place for you. The writer, inspired by her own sister's choice to (re)turn to Orthodox Judaism, wondered why women would want to subject themselves to a way of life that seems so patriarchal on the surface. In a time when many women were turning to women's liberation movements, the women who Debra Kaufman studied were becoming more religious. They weren't trying to gain the same kind of equality with men that other women wanted. The interviewees were seeking more defined spiritual and social roles that were different from men's roles, but equally important and meaningful. Above all, these women, like all other people have done, were looking for meaning in their lives. Kaufman compares and contrasts these women's views to those of other women who joined other religious and non-religious groups. I liked this book overall because it was sociologically-inspired, and not at all preachy.

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pro mikva!, March 8, 2007

By 

MagenDavid "Whatabout the Jewish experience" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rachel's Daughters: Newly Orthodox Jewish Women (Paperback)

The monthly journey to the mikva was the only relevant thing I got out of this book.There was not any other substantive information except an emphasis
on monthly mikva attendance.I found the discussion with the book was dry. I would not pay to read on this subject again.