Lifecycles Volume 2

Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in spirituality and religious texts, as well as an exciting expansion of women’s participation and leadership in Jewish life. This unique multi-volume collaboration brings together women writers, rabbis and scholars to create the first comprehensive work on Jewish lifecycle that fully includes women’s perspectives.

Lifecycles, Volume 2 explores the impact that biblical texts have on our lives—and the impact our lives have on those texts. It delves into the human themes found both in the first five books of the Bible, and in women’s lives today, themes of:

Genesis—Our roots and beginnings, family and home
Exodus—Transformations to freedom, holiness and Torah
Leviticus—Food and sacrifice, health and the body, sexuality, the power of words
Numbers—Creating community in times of transition
Deuteronomy—Leadership, law and revisioning the future

With a rich diversity of voices, the contributors show us how to understand the power of biblical texts, and then how to use those texts to find our own connections of self, spirit and community.

Introductions by Orenstein and Litman offer a broader context for the concepts explored in each section, and an afterword provides further advice on “Engaging with Torah,” including a section on how to create a midrash. In a personal, insightful and creative style, Lifecycles, Volume 2 opens opportunities for us to grow from the intersection of the texts of our heritage and the lessons of our lives.

Contributors:

Martha Ackelsberg • Penina V. Adelman • Rachel Adler • Arlene Agus • Meg Akabas • Rebecca T. Alpert • Amy Bardack • Barbara Eve Breitman • Esther Cameron • Nina Beth Cardin • Amy Eilberg • Dianne O. Esses • Ruth S. Fagen • Emily Feigenson • Merle Feld • Miriam Flock • Debbie Friedman • Judith Glass • Debra Orenstein • Jane Rachel Litman • Zilla Jane Goodman • Barbara D. Holender • Vicki Hollander • Margaret Holub • Beth Huppin • Shirley Idelson • Francine Klagsbrun • Gail Labovitz • Ellen LeVee • Rose L. Levinson • Jane Rachel Litman • Leah Bat Luria • Jody Elizabeth Myers • Michelle Nordon • Vanessa L. Ochs • Debra Orenstein • Alicia Ostriker • Judith Plaskow • Ora Horn Prouser • Einat Ramon • Rosie Rosenzweig • Susan Schnur • Drorah O’Donnell Setel • Alice Shalvi • Gloria Steinem • Ellen M. Umansky • Sheila Peltz Weinberg • Florence Weinberger • Shohama Harris Wiener • Elizabeth Weiss Stern • Elana Zaiman • Leora R. Zeitlin

Author Biography

Rabbi Debra Orenstein is an acclaimed teacher, speaker and scholar-in-residence. Before repatriating back to New Jersey in 2010 to become spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Israel in Emerson, she spent twenty years as an instructor at the American Jewish University and a pulpit rabbi in Los Angeles. Rabbi Orenstein is the author and editor of five books, including Lifecycles 1: Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal Milestones and Lifecycles 2: Jewish Women on Biblical Themes in Contemporary Life (both Jewish Lights). A seventh generation rabbi, she is also an alumna of the first entering class to include women at The Jewish Theological Seminary. For downloadable teachings and scholar-in-residence information, please visit www.RabbiDebra.com.

Rabbi Debra Orenstein is available to speak on the following topics:

Finding (More) Meaning in Jewish Ritual and Practice
Unfolding Adventures in Lifecycle, Spirituality and Gender
Reading the Bible with New Eyes: Feminist Interpretation
Ways in to Jewish Spirituality
Raising Spiritually Fulfilled Children: Generation Mentsch

Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman serves Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco, a congregation of people of diverse sexualities and family structures. She has taught on the faculty of California State University Northridge, the University of Judaism and Loyola Marymount. She is active in many social action organizations, and is widely published in the fields of Jewish women’s history and contemporary theology. She lives in Northern California with her partner, Stewart Schwartz, and their two children, Sophie and Asher. Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman serves Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco, a congregation of people of diverse sexualities and family structures. She has taught on the faculty of California State University Northridge, the University of Judaism and Loyola Marymount. She is active in many social action organizations, and is widely published in the fields of Jewish women’s history and contemporary theology. She lives in Northern California with her partner, Stewart Schwartz, and their two children, Sophie and Asher. Rabbi Debra Orenstein is an acclaimed teacher, speaker and scholar-in-residence. Before repatriating back to New Jersey in 2010 to become spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Israel in Emerson, she spent twenty years as an instructor at the American Jewish University and a pulpit rabbi in Los Angeles. Rabbi Orenstein is the author and editor of five books, including Lifecycles 1: Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal Milestones and Lifecycles 2: Jewish Women on Biblical Themes in Contemporary Life (both Jewish Lights). A seventh generation rabbi, she is also an alumna of the first entering class to include women at The Jewish Theological Seminary. For downloadable teachings and scholar-in-residence information, please visit www.RabbiDebra.com.

Rabbi Debra Orenstein is available to speak on the following topics:

Finding (More) Meaning in Jewish Ritual and Practice
Unfolding Adventures in Lifecycle, Spirituality and Gender
Reading the Bible with New Eyes: Feminist Interpretation
Ways in to Jewish Spirituality
Raising Spiritually Fulfilled Children: Generation Mentsch