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

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1580233716 ISBN 13: 9781580233712

Publisher: Jewish Lights, 2008

Synopsis

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.

About this title

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.

About the Author

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, one of the leading rabbis of a new generation, is director of Kolel: The Adult Center for Liberal Jewish Learning, a full-time progressive adult Jewish learning center. Goldstein lectures frequently throughout North America. She is also editor of The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions; and The Women's Haftarah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Haftarah Portions, the 5 Megillot and Special Shabbatot; and author of the award-winning New Jewish Feminism: Probing the Past, Forging the Future and ReVisions: Seeing Torah through a Feminist Lens (all Jewish Lights).

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein is available to speak on the following topics:

• Women and Judaism
• Reform Judaism
• Jewish Parenting
• General Judaica

Rabbi Sharon Brous is the founding rabbi of IKAR (www.ikar-la.org), a spiritual community dedicated to reanimating Jewish life through soulful religious practice that is rooted in a deep commitment to social justice. She has been noted as one of the leading rabbis in the country in Newsweek/Daily Beast and has been listed among the Forward's fifty most influential American Jews numerous times. She serves on the faculty of the Wexner Heritage Program, the Shalom Hartman Institute and Reboot, and sits on the board of Rabbis for Human Rights.

Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand received her rabbinic ordination in 1993 at The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. She has served as chief executive of the United Kingdom Movement for Reform Judaism and prior to that was vice president of the Wexner Heritage Foundation in New York. Currently she is director of JHub, an operating program of the London-based Pears Foundation. She contributed to All These Vows―Kol Nidre, May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism―Yizkor, and We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism―Ashamnu and Al Chet (both Jewish Lights).

Rabbi Laura Geller is senior rabbi of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. She was twice named one of Newsweek's 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America and was featured in the PBS documentary Jewish Americans. She has contributed to many books and journals, and was on the editorial board of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary.

Rabbi Jill Hammer, PhD, is the director of spiritual education at the Academy
for Jewish Religion. She is also the director of Tel Shemesh, a website and community
celebrating and creating Jewish earth-based traditions, and the
cofounder of Kohenet: The Hebrew Priestess Training Program. She is the
author of numerous essays, articles, and poems, and also of two books: Sisters
at Sinai: New Tales of Biblical Women (Jewish Publication Society, 2001) and
The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons (Jewish Publication
Society, 2006).

About this edition

• Publisher: Jewish Lights
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1580233716
• ISBN 13: 9781580233712
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 560
• Editor: Goldstein Rabbi Elyse