On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition [Paperback]

Blu Greenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1994

A classic for over 20 years, this thought-provoking volume explores the role of Jewish women in the synagogue, in the family, and in the secular world. Greenberg offers ways to change present Jewish practices so that they more readily reflect feminine equality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A sensitive attempt to reconcile the claims of feminism with complete observance of Jewish law."—New York Times Book Review

(New York Times Book Review )

Product Details

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: The Jewish Publication Society (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082760226X
• ISBN-13: 978-0827602267
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #674,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars check it out of the library, January 13, 2003

By 

Sarah Schwartz (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book, in which Blu Greenberg discusses the ways that she reconciles feminism and traditional Judaism. Her thoughts were very influential for me, and still affect the way that I see many issues.

Unfortunately, the book is not meaty enough. She speaks in generalities rather than tackling the texts. Books providing more textual details are those of Judith Hauptman, Joel Wolowelsky, Avi Weiss, and Eliezer Berkovits.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seeks to reconcile traditional Judaism with feminism, May 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition (Paperback)

In a moving series of essays, Blu Greenberg seeks to reconcile her new-found commitment to feminism with her life-long commitment to Orthodox Judaism. Several of the essays focus on specific themes such as taharat ha-mishpachah or women's role in prayer services. This book was published in the early 1980s and is now somewhat dated (as the political landscapes of both feminism and Judaism have changed so much), but it's still touching and thought-provoking. I wish Greenberg would publish a new edition with an additional essay or two reflecting on women and Judaism in the last twenty years!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening & Evokative, October 3, 2003

By 

Reyna del Amador (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition (Paperback)

I had the privilege of hearing and meeting Mrs. Greenberg while in my undergraduate studies and found her lecture presentation to be the most intellectually and religiously stimulating event of those years. With this experience, I eagerly pore over virtually everything she publishes, and *On Women and Judaism* was no exception. I read and re-read the book over several months: sometimes wanting to toss it into the waste basket as it angered me so; other times wondering how I'd survived as a traditionally religious woman without it.

Mrs. Greenberg weaves her own experiences into her vast knowledge of scripture and history. The result enlightens the reader and bridges the chasm between tradition and feminism without compromising either side--a nearly impossible feat.

Highly recommended.