Four Centuries of Jewish Women’s Spirituality: A Sourcebook (HBI Series on Jewish Women)

Much has changed for Jewish women since the first edition of Four Centuries of Jewish Women’s Spirituality appeared in 1992. Associations of Jewish women—academic, religious, secular—have proliferated, making the women’s voices heard. In collecting material for this completely revised edition, the editors drew upon sources that express the diversity of Jewish women, mainly from 1560 to the present. They sought material by Jewish women of different ages, sexual orientations, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and nationalities. Reflecting a wide variety of literary genres, sources include spiritual works (sermons, addresses, ritual blessing, prayers) as well as letters, sisterhood minutes, and committee reports that also express the spiritual concerns of their authors. Writings by women rabbis and contemporary Orthodox women, along with documents from Latin America, bring the volume up to date.