Awards

• Winner of Winner, Spirituality Category, New England Festival Best Books of the Holiday Season.

Overview

Recollections of the first bat mitzvah at the only synagogue in Indonesia, a poignant bat mitzvah memory of World War II Italy, and an American bat mitzvah shared with girls in a Ukrainian orphanage—these are a few of the resonant testimonies about the transition from Jewish girl to Jewish woman collected in Today I Am a Woman. Introduced by brief biographical notes and descriptions of Jewish communities around the world, these stories reveal how Judaism defines this important rite of passage in a girl's life in widely disparate settings. The contributions are from bat mitzvah girls of the past and present, their parents, communities, and religious leaders. Including evocative family photos—some recent, some from decades past—this rich compilation is an ideal gift for bat mitzvah celebrants, their families, and friends.

Full Product Details

9780253356932

Table of Contents

Reviews

In Subotica [Serbia] in 1941, my sister Ruza had her bat mitzvah, along with 14 other girls. The bat mitzvah was celebrated on the day of the festival of Shavuot. All 15 girls wore white dresses and white gloves and each held one white rose... After the benediction they each received a book of prayers to remember the day... Then the war broke out. My sister took that book of prayers with her to forced labor and managed to bring it back home. I hope she has it still. She lives in Subotica and I live in Israel. -- Edita Deri But 1938, a year that began with such promise and happiness, turned into a year of despair. I cannot think of my bat mitzvah [in Turin] without recalling every event of that fateful year. It was probably the most important year of my life for the development of my character, my personality, and my dreams. That is why I am telling this story. -- Giorgina Vitale

Make sure to pick up Today I Am a Woman. ... You'll glimpse at your sisters all over the world celebrating adulthood as women and Jews. The Jewish Advocate What appeals to me most about this book is how the history, written by Vinick and Reiharz, is mixed in with personal bat mitzvah stories written by girls and adults so that I never get bored of reading too much of one or the other. In that same vein, the stories are gathered from people of all ages and backgrounds creating a variable narrative experience... It offers an interesting read for parents and teachers who would like to learn more about the history and legacy of Jews throughout the Diaspora. Etta King, Jewish Women's Archive In Subotica [Serbia] in 1941, my sister Ruza had her bat mitzvah, along with 14 other girls. The bat mitzvah was celebrated on the day of the festival of Shavuot. All 15 girls wore white dresses and white gloves and each held one white rose... After the benediction they each received a book of prayers to remember the day... Then the war broke out. My sister took that book of prayers with her to forced labor and managed to bring it back home. I hope she has it still. She lives in Subotica and I live in Israel. Edita Deri But 1938, a year that began with such promise and happiness, turned into a year of despair. I cannot think of my bat mitzvah [in Turin] without recalling every event of that fateful year. It was probably the most important year of my life for the development of my character, my personality, and my dreams. That is why I am telling this story. Giorgina Vitale

In Subotica [Serbia] in 1941, my sister Ruza had her bat mitzvah, along with 14 other girls. The bat mitzvah was celebrated on the day of the festival of Shavuot. All 15 girls wore white dresses and white gloves and each held one white rose... After the benediction they each received a book of prayers to remember the day... Then the war broke out. My sister took that book of prayers with her to forced labor and managed to bring it back home. I hope she has it still. She lives in Subotica and I live in Israel. -- Edita Deri But 1938, a year that began with such promise and happiness, turned into a year of despair. I cannot think of my bat mitzvah [in Turin] without recalling every event of that fateful year. It was probably the most important year of my life for the development of my character, my personality, and my dreams. That is why I am telling this story. -- Giorgina Vitale

What appeals to me most about this book is how the history, written by Vinick and Reiharz, is mixed in with personal bat mitzvah stories written by girls and adults so that I never get bored of reading too much of one or the other. In that same vein, the stories are gathered from people of all ages and backgrounds creating a variable narrative experience... It offers an interesting read for parents and teachers who would like to learn more about the history and legacy of Jews throughout the Diaspora. Etta King, Jewish Women's Archive In Subotica [Serbia] in 1941, my sister Ruza had her bat mitzvah, along with 14 other girls. The bat mitzvah was celebrated on the day of the festival of Shavuot. All 15 girls wore white dresses and white gloves and each held one white rose... After the benediction they each received a book of prayers to remember the day... Then the war broke out. My sister took that book of prayers with her to forced labor and managed to bring it back home. I hope she has it still. She lives in Subotica and I live in Israel. Edita Deri But 1938, a year that began with such promise and happiness, turned into a year of despair. I cannot think of my bat mitzvah [in Turin] without recalling every event of that fateful year. It was probably the most important year of my life for the development of my character, my personality, and my dreams. That is why I am telling this story. Giorgina Vitale

Author Information

Barbara Vinick is affiliated with the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University, where she has studied gendered rituals in Jewish communities worldwide. Shulamit Reinharz is the Jacob S. Potofsky Professor of Sociology at Brandeis University, where she is Director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. Her publications include American Jewish Women and the Zionist Enterprise, Jewish Intermarriage around the World, and The JGirls' Guide.

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