The Women's Haftarah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Haftarah Portions, the 5 Megillot & Special Shabbatot [Hardcover]

Elyse Goldstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2004

Women rabbis are changing the face of Judaism. Discover how their interpretations of the Prophets, Writings, and Megillot can enrich your perspective.

The Haftarah is a potent tool for understanding the values, ethics, and moral lessons contained in the Torah readings. In this first-of-its-kind volume, more than eighty women rabbis from the Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist movements offer fresh perspectives on the beloved texts that make up the Haftarah—the Prophets and Writings—and the Five Megillot.

Based on readings that are rich in imagery—some poetic, some narrative, some dark and brooding—their commentaries include surprising insights on the stories of Deborah and Yael, David and Goliath, David and Bathsheva, and the witch of Endor, among many others. Themes such as Jerusalem as woman, the story of Jonah and the fish, and other prophetic images are informed and challenged by this groundbreaking work.

A rich resource, a major contribution to modern biblical commentary, and the ideal companion to The Women’s Torah Commentary, The Women’s Haftarah Commentary will inspire all of us to gain deeper meaning from the Hebrew scriptures and a heightened appreciation of Judaism.

Contributors include:
Judith Z. Abrams
Analia Bortz
Sharon Brous
Sue Levi Elwell
Susan P. Fendrick
Karen L. Fox
Shoshana Boyd Gelfand
Laura Geller
Rachel Sabath-Beit Halachmi
Jill Hammer
Karyn D. Kedar
Valerie Lieber
Sheryl Nosan-Blank
Debra Orenstein
Barbara Rosman Penzner
Hara E. Person
Geela Rayzel Raphael
Laura M. Rappaport
Ilene Schneider
Rona Shapiro
Shira Stern
Pamela Wax
Nancy Wechsler-Azen

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Brava: this commentary is brimming with insight and versatility. Read straight through as a whole, it exudes the atmosphere of an intense retreat. Read piecemeal, it acts not only as a reference tool or study guide, but also as a weekly devotional. As in the first volume (The Women's Torah Commentary), there are as many viewpoints as there are parishot. The rabbis come from a diversity of religious affiliations—reform, conservative, reconstructionist—and an equally diverse array of backgrounds: as well as being rabbis, they are also doctors, lawyers, social workers and even a Pulitzer Prize winner. And while they are daughters of rabbis, Holocaust survivors and Russian refugees, they are first and foremost, like all women, daughters of God. Continuing in the age-old tradition of Torah study, this volume draws from centuries of interpretation and adds a woman's touch, but with no axe to grind and no agenda to promote. For example, one need not be a feminist or even a woman to take up the charge offered in reference to Haftarat Pikudei (I Kings 7:51-8:21) by Rabbi Y.L. Bat Joseph that "each generation has the obligation to pick up where Solomon left off and dedicate our homes anew as sanctuaries of Jewish learning, Jewish ritual and Jewish continuity." Male and female readers across a spectrum of religious affiliations can find not only explanation, but hope and renewal within these pages. Those building libraries of Judaica should consider this volume and its predecessor as the contemporary companions to the Hertz Chomash and the recently published Etz Hayim.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Inside Flap

Discover how women rabbis’ interpretations of the Prophets, Writings, and Megillot can strengthen your understanding of all Jewish scripture.

In this first-of-its-kind collection, more than eighty women rabbis come together to offer their unique experiences and perspectives on selections from the Prophets and Writings, and on the Five Megillot.

Included are commentaries by ordained women in the Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative movements; women from across these denominations who are congregational leaders, Hillel college campus rabbis, community service professionals, academics, and chaplains; women from the United States, Canada, and Israel.

The Women’s Haftarah Commentary will challenge—and possibly change—the way you experience Judaism as it illuminates the historical significance of female portrayals in the Haftarah and Five Megillot, and the subtle meanings behind these powerful biblical texts.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing; First Edition edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580231330
• ISBN-13: 978-1580231336
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #775,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)