Lifecycles Vol 2: Jewish Women on Biblical Themes in Contemporary Life [Paperback]

Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in spirituality and religious texts, as well as an exciting expansion of women's participation and leadership in Jewish life. This unique three-volume collaboration brings together women writers, rabbis and scholars to create the first comprehensive work on Jewish lifecycle that fully includes women's perspectives.

Lifecycles, V. 2 explores the impact that biblical texts have on our livesand the impact our lives have on those texts. It delves into the human themes found both in the first five books of the Bible, and in womens lives today, themes of:

• GenesisOur roots and beginnings, family and home
• ExodusTransformations to freedom, holiness and Torah
• LeviticusFood and sacrifice, health and the body, sexuality, the power of words
• NumbersCreating community in times of transition
• DeuteronomyLeadership, law and revisioning the future

With a rich diversity of voices, the contributors show us how to understand the power of biblical texts, and then how to use those texts to find our own connections of self, spirit and community.

Introductions by Orenstein and Litman offer a broader context for the concepts explored in each section, and an afterword provides further advice on Engaging with Torah, including a section on how to create a midrash. In a personal, insightful and creative style,Lifecycles, V. 2 opens opportunities for us to grow from the intersection of the texts of our heritage and the lessons of our lives.

Contributors:

Martha Ackelsberg Penina V. Adelman Rachel Adler Arlene Agus Meg Akabas Rebecca T. Alpert Amy Bardack Barbara Eve Breitman Esther Cameron Nina Beth Cardin Amy Eilberg Dianne O. Esses Ruth S. Fagen Emily Feigenson Merle Feld Miriam Flock Debbie Friedman Judith Glass Debra Orenstein Jane Rachel Litman Zillă