Women Who Would Be Rabbis: A History of Women's Ordination 1889-1985

by Pamela Susan Nadell

Overview

1998 National Jewish Book Award finalist

Pamela S. Nadell mines a wealth of untapped sources to bring us the first complete story of the courageous and committed Jewish women who passionately defended their right to equal religious participation through rabbinical ordination.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807036495
Publisher:	Beacon Press
Publication date:	10/10/1999
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	324
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Pamela S. Nadell is director of the Jewish Studies Program at American University in Washington, D.C., and resides in Rockville, Maryland.

Editorial Reviews

'"Lucid and engrossing. . . . with authoritative research and sometimes heart-breaking examples." —Francine Klagsbrun, Lilith

"Nadell's work makes a significant story more familiar and contributes to the broader history of women's efforts to fully participate in religious leadership-struggles that continue in many religious traditions." —Booklist

"The definitive study of 'the road to women's ordination' in Judaism." —Jonathan D. Sarna, The American Jewish Experience

" . . . [A] telling that is both indispensable and gratifying. . . . Nadell's historical expertise is well matched by her narrative skills. Scholars and the general public owe her a collective gesture of gratitude." —Norma Baumel Joseph, Concordia University

"Pamela Nadell has uncovered an important and little-known story essential to an understanding of the changing roles of Jewish women. A fine work of historical scholarship and a compelling read." —Paula Hyman, Gender and Assimilation in Modern Jewish History

From the Publisher

Tapping archival records, Nadell (Jewish studies, American U., Washington, DC) introduces a century of contenders (e.g. Ray Frank, the 19th century "girl rabbi of the golden West"), their male advocates, and the continuing debate over the question posed by Mary M. Cohen in 1890: "could not our women be ministers?" With the 1984 ordination of the first Conservative female rabbi, the author dares to ask "will there be Orthodox women rabbis?" Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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