Lubavitcher Women in America : Identity and Activism in the Postwar Era

Annotation Lubavitcher Women in America offers a rare look at the world of Hasidic women activists since World War II. The revival of ultra-Orthodox Judaism in the second half of the twentieth century has baffled many assimilated American Jews, especially those Jewish feminists hostile to Orthodox interpretations of women's roles. This text gives voice to the lives of those Hasidic women who served the late Lubavitcher Rebbe as educators and outreach activists, and examines their often successful efforts to recruit other Jewish women to the Lubavitcher community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Central to this book is how Lubavitcher women have "talked back" to American feminist thought. Arguing that American feminism cannot liberate Jewish women -- that a specifically Jewish spirituality is more appropriate and fulfilling -- Lubavitcher women have helped to swell the ranks of their Rebbe's followers by aggressively promoting the appeal of traditional, structured Jewish observance. The book thus offers a unique look at female anti-feminist religious rhetoric, articulately presented by Jewish "fundamentalists" Front Matter 1 Half Title Page 3 Title Page 5 Copyright Page 6 Dedication Page 7 Table of Contents 9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 11 INTRODUCTION: A FEMINIST HISTORIAN'S INTENTIONS 13 Content 25 "AISHES CHAYIL, MI IMTZA?" A WOMAN OF VALOR, WHO CAN FIND? 25 "CHANOCH LANAAR AL PI DARKO" EDUCATE A CHILD ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS 41 "HAKHEL, KIRUV R'CHOKIM" IN GATHERING THOSE THAT WERE FAR AWAY: THE NESHEI CHABAD CONVENTIONS 67 "HAKOL MIN HA ISBA" EVERYTHING EMANATES FROM THE WOMANDI YIDDISHE HElM 90 " AZOY VI ES GOYET ZICH AZOY YIDDELT ZICH "WHATEVER IS HAPPENING IN THE GENTILE WORLD IS REFLECTED IN THE JEWISH WORLD: REACTIONS TO FEMINISM 112 "M'DARF LEBEN MIT DER ZEIT" WE MUST LIVE WITH THE TIMES 135 Back Matter 153 GLOSSARY OF YIDDISH AND HEBREW TERMS 153 NOTES 159 HASIDIC HISTORIOGRAPHY 177 BIBLIOGRAPHY 183 INDEX 195 Back Cover 200 The author gratefully acknowledges permission to excerpt and incorporate the following previously published material: "Female Education in the Lubavitcher Commumty," from Women in Spiritual and Communitarian Societies in the United States,edited by Wendy E. Chmielewski,Louis J. Kern,and Marilyn Klee-Hartzell. By permission of Syracuse University Press,© 1993. "Agents or Victims of Relgious Ideology?," from New World Hasidim: Ethnographic Studies of Hasidic Jews in America,edited by Janet BelcoveShalin. By permission of the State University of New York Press,© 1995. Published by State University of New York Press,Albany © 1998 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic,electrostatic,magnetic tape,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information,address State University of New York Press,State University Plaza,Albany,N.Y. 12246 Production by E. Moore Marketing by Nancy Farrell Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Morris,Bonnie J.,1961 Lubavitcher women in America: identity and activism in the postwar era / Bonnie J. Morris. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-3799-X (hc : alk. paper). - ISBN 0··7914-3800-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Women in Judaism-United States. 2. Chabad-United States. 3. Jewish women-Religious life-United States. 4. Crown Heights (New York,N.Y.)-Religious life and customs. 1. Title. BM729W6M67 1998 296.8'3322'0820973-dc21 97-28021 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CIP r97 The author gratefully acknowledges permission to excerpt and incorporate,the following previously published material:,Female Education in the Lubavitcher Commumty,,from Women in Spiritual,and Communitarian Societies in the United States,edited by Wendy,E. Chmielewski,Louis J. Kern,and Marilyn Klee-Hartzell. By permission,of Syracuse University Press,© 1993.,Agents or Victims of Relgious Ideology?,,from New World Hasidim:,Ethnographic Studies of Hasidic Jews in America,edited by Janet BelcoveShalin.,By permission of the State University of New York Press,© 1995.,Published by,State University of New York Press,Albany,© 1998 State University of New York,All rights reserved,Printed in the United States of America,No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner,whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be,stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,including electronic,electrostatic,magnetic tape,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise without the prior permission in,writing of the publisher.,For information,address State University of New York,Press,State University Plaza,Albany,N.Y. 12246,Production by E. Moore,Marketing by Nancy Farrell,Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data,Morris,Bonnie J.,1961,Lubavitcher women in America: identity and activism in the,postwar era / Bonnie J. Morris.,p. cm.,Includes bibliographical references and index.,ISBN 0-7914-3799-X (hc : alk. paper). - ISBN 0··7914-3800-7 (pbk.,: alk. paper),1. Women in Judaism-United States. 2. Chabad-United States.,3. Jewish women-Religious life-United States. 4. Crown Heights,(New York,N.Y.)-Religious life and customs. 1. Title.,BM729W6M67 1998,296.8'3322'0820973-dc21 97-28021,10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1,CIP,r97