What does it mean to re-vision Torah?
"I use the title ReVisions for this
book because I want readers both to revise—in the classic
definition of reexamine and alter—and to see the text anew, to
have a new vision, a 'revision,' of Torah.... It begins with the
notion that women see the text differently than men do, ask
different questions and bring different answers.... This book is
not about rewriting the Torah. It is about rereading it."
—from the Introduction
Rabbi Elyse Goldstein—woman, rabbi,
scholar, and feminist—challenges and defends, rereads and
reinterprets the ancient text, revealing to modern readers a
way to see Judaism anew, for a new vision—a
"revision"—of the Torah. Goldstein boldly
brings the Torah into a contemporary context at the same time
she honestly reconciles its past.
"Those who seek to connect to Torah
and Jewish practice will discover fresh strategies for
imagining a Judaism which reflects and respects women."
—Vanessa
L. Ochs, author of Words on Fire; Department
of Religious Studies, University of Virginia
"A re-reading of the Torah from a
woman's perspective that is both liberal and traditional,
accepting and critical.... Her discussions will open new
avenues of understanding for any reader."
—Rabbi W.
Gunther Plaut, editor of The Torah: A Modern Commentary
"Combines original insight with
thorough consideration of classical Jewish commentaries to
produce a fascinating set of fresh readings of the Torah and of
Jewish religious practice."
—Prof.
Susannah Heschel, Eli Black
Professor of Jewish Studies,
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
"In wrestling with the thorny and
seemingly intractable issue of what feminists can and should do
about the sexist content in Judaism ... blazes a trail that
leads to the transformation of Judaism from within.... A
pioneering and inspiring 'Guide for the Perplexed' for
feminists of our time."
—Aviva
Cantor, author of Jewish Women, Jewish Men:
The Legacy of Patriarchy in Jewish Life
The Legacy of Patriarchy in Jewish Life
"The book is a thought-provoking
commentary, revealing the female spirit found in the Torah.
Synagogue libraries would find this book a good addition to
their collection of Torah study and women's issues."
—Association of Jewish Libraries
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