By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
I don’t know if it’s because there were so few books for Jewish tweens published when I was young, but I love reading books for this age group. Not only are numerous books being published, but the works are really impressive in depth and breadth. Since I’ve en…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Stories from 1930s’ (pre-World War II) Europe and 21st century Israel: what do they have in common? Human nature, of course: the search for love and meaning, and the struggle against the sorrows of daily life. In their wonderful tales, Chana Blankshteyn’s “Fea…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
The Spanish Civil War
Spain has a mixed Jewish history. Tales of tolerance and understanding while the country was under Muslim rule clash with the forced conversions and expulsions of the Jewish population during the reign of Christian monarchs Ferdinand II of A…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Nonbinary gendered individuals found in the Talmud: Max. K. Strassfeld (who uses the pronouns they/their) was fascinated by the discussions they discovered about them in the rabbinic text. Strassfeld wanted to know more, to not just understand what the rabbis though…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
It can be dismaying to reread a favorite novel decades after its publication. Feminists, in particular, now realize many works they loved ignored women’s experiences. That’s what happened to Maggie Anton. When rereading Chaim Potok’s “The Chosen” and “T…
