National Council of Jewish Women
- National Council of Jewish WomenFounded in 1893, the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) emerged from the desire to preserve Judaism by teaching Jewish women their religious duties. It soon became an advocacy organization addressing a wide range of social, health, environmental, and peace issues. Its more than 90,000 members in more than 500 affiliates seek to ensure individual and civil rights, improve the status of women, further the quality of Jewish life, improve day care and public schooling, and promote the well-being of children and families.
In the late 2010s, NCJW's priorities include: reproductive health, rights, and justice; federal court appointments; voter engagement, Israel, civil rights, and sex trafficking.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference is an easy-to-use tool for starting research. Gather background information on your topic from hundreds of full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 500,000+ images and audio files and over 1,000 videos.
Biblical Short Stories: Ruth and Esther
- Kanopy This link opens in a new window
Discover the genre of the biblical short story: Old Testament books that recount single plots, often focusing on displaced women. Learn the story of Ruth, of the land of Moab - Israel's hated enemy, who survived in Bethlehem through loyalty and resourcefulness. Also, encounter the Jewish, Persian Queen Esther, who saved her people by honoring her Jewishness while being queen of a gentile society.
Online Resources
- Jewish Women's ArchiveThe Jewish Women’s Archive is a national organization dedicated to collecting and promoting the extraordinary stories of Jewish women. JWA explores the past as a framework for understanding the issues important to women today; inspires young people with remarkable role models; and uses Jewish women’s stories to excite people to see themselves as agents of change.
- Jewish Women InternationalJewish Women International (JWI) is the leading Jewish organization championing women and girls* – of every race, culture, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation – by protecting their rights and safety, strengthening access to long-term economic security, and lifting and mentoring women leaders.
- National Council of Jewish WomenThe National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.
Perspectives
Unorthodox
Now a Netflix original series! Unorthodox is the bestselling memoir of a young Jewish woman's escape from a religious sect, in the tradition of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Infidel and Carolyn Jessop's Escape, featuring a new epilogue by the author. As a member of the strictly religious Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism, Deborah Feldman grew up under a code of relentlessly enforced customs governing everything from what she could wear and to whom she could speak to what she was allowed to read. Yet in spite of her repressive upbringing, Deborah grew into an independent-minded young woman whose stolen moments reading about the empowered literary characters of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott helped her to imagine an alternative way of life among the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Trapped as a teenager in a sexually and emotionally dysfunctional marriage to a man she barely knew, the tension between Deborah's desires and her responsibilities as a good Satmar girl grew more explosive until she gave birth at nineteen and realized that, regardless of the obstacles, she would have to forge a path--for herself and her son--to happiness and freedom. Remarkable and fascinating, this "sensitive and memorable coming-of-age story" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) is one you won't be able to put down.
Celebrating the Lives of Jewish Women
Jewish women of all ages and backgrounds come together in Celebrating the Lives of Jewish Women to explore and rejoice in what they have in common--their heritage. They reveal in striking personal stories how their Jewishness has shaped their identities and informed their experiences in innumerable, meaningful ways. Survivors, witnesses, defenders, innovators, and healers, these women question, celebrate, and transmit Jewish and feminist values in hopes that they might bridge the differences among Jewish women. They invite both Jewish and non-Jewish readers to share in their discussions and stories that convey and celebrate the multiplicity of Jewish backgrounds, attitudes, and issues. In Celebrating the Lives of Jewish Women, you will read about cultural, religious, and gender choices, conversion to Judaism, family patterns, Jewish immigrant experiences, the complexities of Jewish secular identities, antisemitism, sexism, and domestic violence in the Jewish community.
Jewish Women in Europe in the Middle Ages
Goldin's study explores the relationships between men and women within Jewish society living in Germany, northern France and England among the Christian population over a period of some 350 years. Looking at original Hebrew sources to conduct a social analysis, he takes us from the middle of the tenth century until the middle of the second half of the fourteenth century, when the Christian population had expelled the Jews from almost all of the places they were living. Particularly fascinating are the attitudes towards women, as well as their changes in social status. By examining the factors involved in these issues, including views of the leadership, economic influences, internal power politics and gender struggles, Goldin's book provides a greater understanding of the functioning of these communities. This volume will be of great interest to historians of medieval Europe, gender and religion.
Heretics or Daughters of Israel? the crypto-Jewish women of Castile
Between 1391 and the end of the 15th century, many Spanish Jews were forced to convert to Christianity, though many maintained clandestine ties to Judaism. This study demonstrates the role played by the crypto-Jewish women of Castile in the perpetuation of crypto-Jewish traditions and culture.
Jewish Women Writers in the Soviet Union
This book presents the lives and works of eleven Jewish women authors who lived in the Soviet Union and who wrote and published their works in Russian. The works include poems, novels, memoirs and other writings.
The Return of Sarah's Daughters: The Orthodox Jewish world
- Kanopy This link opens in a new windowAn award-winning film about three secular women as they enter the Orthodox Jewish world. As they grapple or embrace, their experiences throw pat answers about tradition, community, and meaning into relief.