The War on Women in Israel: How Religious Radicalism Is Smothering the Voice of a Nation
Across Israel-one of the most democratic countries in the world-women are being harassed as a rising Orthodox Jewish faction seeks to suppress them. In this gripping exposé, leading women's activist Elana Sztokman investigates the struggles of Israeli women against increasing levels of religious and political intrusion into their lives, from segregation on public buses to being refused admittance to public events. The War on Women in Israel weaves together interviews and investigative research to present a cutting-edge look at this alarming reality, and proposes solutions for creating a different vision for religion both in Israeli society and in cultures around the world.
The Men's Section: Orthodox Jewish Men in an Egalitarian World
WINNER of the 2012 National Jewish Book Council Award in Women's Studies
Have you ever wondered how men grapple with changes in the status of women in society? Do you think societal messages about "manhood" sometimes leave men confused and struggling? Do Jewish men receive different messages about their masculinity -- and how do they cope with all the changes around them?
If you have ever thought about these questions, then you must read The Men's Section: Orthodox Jewish Men in an Egalitarian World. This book, based on interviews with Orthodox men who are struggling with gender and religion, offers never-before-seen insights into the inner lives of Jewish men. The book takes place in a fascinating new venue: "partnership synagogues" where women have taken on public roles that used to be the exclusive domain of men. This book explores and analyzes the men's struggles as they take part in a movement of changing gender roles in an ancient patriarchal religious culture. The findings will astound you and inspire you.
Educating in the Divine Image: Gender Issues in Orthodox Jewish Day Schools (with Chaya Rosenfeld Gorsetman)
WINNER of the 2013 National Jewish Book Council Award in Education and Identity
Have your kids ever come home from school with baffling or disturbing ideas about gender? Are you bothered by an overemphasis on "modesty" in the Jewish community? Do the increasing practices of gender segregation in Orthodoxy disturb you? Would you like your kids to learn the importance of supporting women's inclusion in Jewish life? Do you want your kids to learn more about the values of equality and justice in Torah?
Then this book is a must-read for you!
The first comprehensive examination of gender messages in Jewish education, this book is draws on studies in education, social science, and psychology, as well as personal interviews, to show how day school education advances gender inequities and socialize students into unhealthy gender identities and relationships. The book addresses pedagogy, school practices, curricula, and textbooks, as along with single-sex versus coed schooling, dress codes, sex education, Jewish rituals, and gender hierarchies in educational leadership. Drawing a stark picture of the many ways both girls and boys are molded into gender identities, the authors offer concrete resources and suggestions for transforming educational practice.
