The Merit of Our Mothers

The Merit of Our Mothers PDF Author: Tracy G Klirs
Publisher: Hebrew Union College Press
ISBN: 0878201513
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 159

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Book Description
For many centuries Jewish prayer was so dominated by its male creators and male readers that the Jewish woman's role in prayer seems to have been all but obliterated. Yet Jewish women have always prayed and, before prayer became standardized into a formal liturgy, Israelite women offered up spontaneous petitions and hymns to God as freely as did men. While they may not have been able to help constitute a minyan, and while many did not know Hebrew or Aramaic, women produced and used material for prayer at home. The Yiddish tkhines had its origin in a form of supplicatory prayer in the Talmud, whose original intent was to allow for individual private devotion during the standard prayer service. The private Yiddish prayers and devotions for Jewish women continued to use this term. They emerged in the world of premodern Ashkenazic Jewry and represent one of the richest and least-known forms of Jewish religious literature. Because modern sensibility seemed to reject them, and because Yiddish was quickly forgotten by second and third generation Jews in the West, they have been sadly neglected. Although a few have been individually translated into English, this is the first bilingual anthology ever to appear. The prayers in this volume are characterized by a highly personal and intimate style and mark occasions in the religious calendar, such as the Tkhine for the Blessing of the New Moon, as well as occasions in the life of a woman, such as the Tkhine for a Mother who Leads Her Child to Kheyder for the First Time. The tkhines are of great appeal and value to those who wish to hear the voices of Jewish women in history, study Yiddish literature and culture, or create new expressions of spirituality.

The Merit of Our Mothers

The Merit of Our Mothers PDF Author: Tracy G Klirs
Publisher: Hebrew Union College Press
ISBN: 0878201513
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 159

Get Book

Book Description
For many centuries Jewish prayer was so dominated by its male creators and male readers that the Jewish woman's role in prayer seems to have been all but obliterated. Yet Jewish women have always prayed and, before prayer became standardized into a formal liturgy, Israelite women offered up spontaneous petitions and hymns to God as freely as did men. While they may not have been able to help constitute a minyan, and while many did not know Hebrew or Aramaic, women produced and used material for prayer at home. The Yiddish tkhines had its origin in a form of supplicatory prayer in the Talmud, whose original intent was to allow for individual private devotion during the standard prayer service. The private Yiddish prayers and devotions for Jewish women continued to use this term. They emerged in the world of premodern Ashkenazic Jewry and represent one of the richest and least-known forms of Jewish religious literature. Because modern sensibility seemed to reject them, and because Yiddish was quickly forgotten by second and third generation Jews in the West, they have been sadly neglected. Although a few have been individually translated into English, this is the first bilingual anthology ever to appear. The prayers in this volume are characterized by a highly personal and intimate style and mark occasions in the religious calendar, such as the Tkhine for the Blessing of the New Moon, as well as occasions in the life of a woman, such as the Tkhine for a Mother who Leads Her Child to Kheyder for the First Time. The tkhines are of great appeal and value to those who wish to hear the voices of Jewish women in history, study Yiddish literature and culture, or create new expressions of spirituality.

Hours of Devotion

Hours of Devotion PDF Author: Dinah Berland
Publisher: Schocken
ISBN: 0307486052
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
Written in the nineteenth century, rediscovered in the twenty-first, timeless in its wisdom and beauty, Hours of Devotion by Fanny Neuda, (the daughter of a Moravian rabbi), was the first full-length book of Jewish prayers written by a woman for women. In her moving introduction to this volume--the first edition of Neuda’s prayer book to appear in English for more than a century--editor Dinah Berland describes her serendipitous discovery of Hours of Devotion in a Los Angeles used bookstore. She had been estranged from her son for eleven years, and the prayers she found in the book provided immediate comfort, giving her the feeling that someone understood both her pain and her hope. Eventually, these prayers would also lead her back to Jewish study and toward a deeper practice of her Judaism. Originally published in German, Fanny Neuda’s popular prayer book was reprinted more than two dozen times in German and appeared in Yiddish and English editions between 1855 and 1918. Working with a translator, Berland has carefully brought the prayers into modern English and set them into verse to fully realize their poetry. Many of these eighty-eight prayers, as well as Neuda’s own preface and afterword, appear here in English for the first time, opening a window to a Jewish woman’s life in Central Europe during the Enlightenment. Reading “A Daughter’s Prayer for Her Parents,” “On the Approach of Childbirth,” “For a Mother Whose Child Is Abroad,” and the other prayers for both daily and momentous occasions, one cannot help but feel connected to the women who’ve come before. For Berland, Hours of Devotion served as a guide and a testament to the mystery and power of prayer. Fanny Neuda’s remarkable spirit and faith in God, displayed throughout these heartfelt prayers, now offer the same hope of guidance to others.

Seyder Tkhines

Seyder Tkhines PDF Author: Devra Kay
Publisher: Jewish Publication Society
ISBN: 0827607733
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
The Seyder Tkhines, translated from its original Yiddish by noted tkhines scholar, Devra Kay, and centerpiece of this groundbreaking work, was a standard Yiddish prayer book for women. It first appeared in Amsterdam in 1648, and continued to be published for the next three generations, usually inside the Hebrew synagogue prayer book. A product of an age when mysticism pervaded mainstream Judaism, the Seyder Tkhines provided women with newly composed, alternative daily prayers that were more specific to their needs. Included in this volume is a unique Yiddish manuscript dating from the 17th century ? a collection of prayers written specifically for a rich, pregnant woman, which Kay discovered among the rare books of the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. Now, for the first time, these prayers have been skillfully translated and brought to public view. In addition to her translations, Kay presents her own extensive commentary, providing a deeper understanding of the historic, religious, and cultural background of this period in Jewish history. This unparalleled book will have special appeal to those interested in the social, literary, and religious history of women, as well as the history of the Yiddish language and literature. The interest in these forgotten prayers and their significance to the lives of women has now been revived, and these tkhines are ready to be rediscovered by a modern readership.

A Jewish Woman's Prayer Book

A Jewish Woman's Prayer Book PDF Author: Aliza Lavie
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0385526865
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 450

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Book Description
A beautiful and moving one-of-a-kind collection that draws from a variety of Jewish traditions, through the ages, to commemorate every occasion and every passage in the cycle of life, including: Special prayers for the Sabbath, holidays, and important dates of the Jewish year Prayers to mark celebratory milestones, such as bat mitzva, marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth Prayers for companionship, love, and fertility Prayers for healing, strength, and personal growth Prayers for daily reflection and thanksgiving Prayers for comfort and understanding in times of tragedy and loss On the eve of Yom Kippur in 2002, Aliza Lavie, a university professor, read an interview with an Israeli woman who had lost both her mother and her baby daughter in a terrorist attack. As Lavie stood in the synagogue later that evening, she searched for comfort for the bereaved woman, for a reminder that she was not alone but part of a great tradition of Jewish women who have responded to unbearable loss with strength and fortitude. Unable to find sufficient solace within the traditional prayer book and inspired by the memory of her own grandmother’s steadfast knowledge and faith, Lavie began researching and compiling prayers written for and by Jewish women. A Jewish Woman’s Prayer Book is the result—a beautiful and moving one-of-a-kind collection that draws from a variety of Jewish traditions, through the ages, to commemorate every occasion and every passage in the cycle of life, from the mundane to the extraordinary. This elegant, inspiring volume includes special prayers for the Sabbath and holidays and important dates of the Jewish year; prayers to mark celebratory milestones, such as bat mitzva, marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth; and prayers for comfort and understanding in times of tragedy and loss. Each prayer is presented in Hebrew and in an English translation, along with fascinating commentary on its origins and allusions. Culled from a wide range of sources, both geographically and historically, this collection testifies that women's prayers were—and continue to be—an inspired expression of personal supplication and desire.

Writing Back Through Our Mothers

Writing Back Through Our Mothers PDF Author: Tegan Zimmerman
Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster
ISBN: 3643905602
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
For the first time in the literary tradition, the contemporary woman's historical novel (post-1970) is surveyed from a transnational feminist perspective. Analyzing the maternal (the genre's central theme) reveals that historical fiction is a transnational feminist means for challenging historical erasures, silences, normative sexuality, political exclusion, and divisions of labor. (Series: Contributions to Transnational Feminism - Vol. 5)

A Daughter of Two Mothers

A Daughter of Two Mothers PDF Author: Miriam Cohen
Publisher: Feldheim Publishers
ISBN: 9781583309322
Category : Hidden children (Holocaust)
Languages : en
Pages : 556

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Book Description
Written by best-selling author Miriam Cohen, A Daughter of Two Mothers is the incredible, true account of a handicapped widow's forced separation from her infant daughter, the years of longing and searching, the legal battle, and the subsequent destruction brought by the Nazis. Open this book and you will step into the world of a generation gone, of pre- and post-war Hungarian Jewry, as young Leichu moves between two communities and their divergent lifestyles. This is a gripping story of separation and reunion, of pure faith and acceptance of G-d's will, and of triumph over despair.

The Feminisms of Our Mothers

The Feminisms of Our Mothers PDF Author: Daanika Kamal
Publisher: Zubaan
ISBN: 9390514649
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
‘Some of our mothers marched the streets in the 1980s, demanding the emancipation of women. Three decades later, they accompanied their daughters to Aurat March, reflecting on past formations, present collectives and feminist futures. Some made concessions in their acceptance of traditional gender roles, forming conflictual relationships with daughters that pushed the boundaries of propriety. Some may not refer to themselves as feminist, differing from their daughters about the significance and implications of labels. Yet, the subtleties of our mothers’ adaptabilities are centred on women’s empowerment. Situated amongst these subtleties are moments of consciousness and selfdetermination that we, as daughters, navigate through, as we limn the contours of our own feminist formations.’ In this remarkable collection of essays about their mothers, women from Pakistan explore the many meanings of feminism and its varying interpretations through generations. How, they ask, do these meanings change, mould, attract and detract within and between generations? How do women bridge the cracks that emerge in these formations as they hold within them the joys, sorrows, conflicts and contradictions of their multiple feminisms?

The Women's Seder Sourcebook

The Women's Seder Sourcebook PDF Author: Sharon Cohen Anisfeld
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
ISBN: 1580232329
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
With diverse and robust voices, women are reclaiming their place at the seder table. This complete sourcebook and guide shows you how to do it, too. For the first time, contemporary Jewish women's writings on the Passover seder are gathered in one comprehensive and compelling sourcebook--an unprecedented and powerful resource for those planning a women's seder and those seeking to infuse their Passover celebration with the creative and courageous voices of Jewish women. Arranged according to the order of the seder, this practical guide gathers the voices of more than one hundred women in readings, personal and creative reflections, commentaries, blessings and ritual suggestions that can be incorporated into your Passover celebration as supplements to or substitutes for traditional passages of the haggadah. It also includes a detailed guide to planning a women's seder, based on information from successful seder organizers around the world. Whether you are organizing a women's seder in your community or planning a family seder in your home, this inspiring and accessible resource will help you take an active role in re-creating the educational and spiritual experience of Passover--and in shaping Judaism's future. Contributors include: Dr. Rachel Adler * Dr. Rebecca T. Alpert * Rabbi Renni S. Altman * Zoe Baird Dr. Evelyn Torton Beck * Susan Berrin * Senator Barbara Boxer * Dr. Esther Broner Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin * Tamara Cohen * Anita Diamant * Dr. Carol Diament Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD * Eve Ensler * Dr. Marcia Falk * Merle Feld Rabbi Susan P. Fendrick * Rabbi Tirzah Firestone * Dr. Ellen Frankel * Nan Fink Gefen Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg * Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb * Dr. Susannah Heschel Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar * Rabbi Naamah Kelman * Naomi Klein * Irena Klepfisz Maxine Kumin * Rabbi Noa Rachel Kushner * Rabbi Joy Levitt * Hadassah Lieberman Ruth W. Messinger * Dr. Faye Moskowitz * Joan Nathan * Dr. Alicia Suskin Ostriker Dr. Judith Plaskow * Marge Piercy * Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen * Anne Roiphe Danya Ruttenberg * Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso * The Honorable Jan Schakowsky Rabbi Susan Schnur * Rabbi Susan Silverman * Dr. Ellen M. Umansky Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg * Dr. Chava Weissler * Cantor Lorel Zar-Kessler

Mothers and Others

Mothers and Others PDF Author: Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674659953
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
Mothers and Others finds the key in the primatologically unique length of human childhood. Renowned anthropologist Sarah Hrdy argues that if human babies were to survive in a world of scarce resources, they would need to be cared for, not only by their mothers but also by siblings, aunts, fathers, friends—and, with any luck, grandmothers. Out of this complicated and contingent form of childrearing, Hrdy argues, came the human capacity for understanding others. In essence, mothers and others teach us who will care, and who will not.

The Merit of the Righteous Women

The Merit of the Righteous Women PDF Author: Biala Rebbe, Shlita Staff
Publisher: Feldheim Publishers
ISBN: 9781583306758
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 440

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Book Description
For the first time, we are privileged to present an English translation of Mevaser Tov, one of the works of the Biala Rebbe, Shlita. This insightful, enriching volume presents a Chassidic discourse on the essential role of women in the preservation of the Jewish people. With wisdom and sensitivity, the Rebbe highlights topics such as positive nurturing, expressing joy, the psychological need for independence, and the power of a woman to help her husband, among many others. This is an uplifting book for every Jewish woman.