Courage

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Written Out of HistoryNotes from the Lampert Library

I recently talked with a pre-school teacher about the Purim story. We spoke about how we always changed the details for young students. I told her that I chose to focus on bravery and courage and frequently supplemented the story of Esther with books that featured characters (sometimes people, sometimes anthropomorphized animals) who either stood up for themselves or overcame fear to do a worthy deed.

Books about women are especially appropriate for after Purim reading as we enter March, Women’s History Month. Women are no longer “written out of history.”

This week’s featured books take that approach to heart. If you think about the topic, you’ll come up with lots of other suggestions for Purim tie-ins. The Lampert Library has many biographies, as well as novels, of women-and men- who overcame challenges and changed their lives and the world.

* indicates books suitable for young readers.

Diner. Her Works Praise Her: A History of Jewish Women in America From Colonial Times to the Present chronicles Jewish women from their arrival in New Amsterdam in 1654 (to the great displeasure of Peter Stuyvesant) to leadership roles in the great social justice movements of the 20th century.

Golda Meir

Golda Meir

*Krasner. Goldie Takes a Stand: Golda Meir’s First Crusade came at the age of nine when she set out to raise money to help poorer students buy texts books. This book provides an accessible look at the early life of Israel’s legendary prime minister.

Levin. It Takes a Dream: The Story of Hadassah tells the story of the organization that has been at the forefront of most major issues-both Jewish and secular- of the last 100 years.

*Manuskhin. Daughters of Fire: Heroines of the Bible uses a variety of sources (Torah, Talmud, Midrash) to flesh out Biblical women whose courage and passion guided them. Illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Uri Shulevitz.

Clara Lemlich

Clara Lemlich

*Markel. Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 relates the true story of petite Clara Lemlich who led the largest strike of women in U.S. history.

*Ross. Daughters of Eve: Strong Women of the Bible focuses on nine Biblical women such as Miriam and the lesser known Hulda, a teacher of Torah.

Friedl Dicker-Brandeis

Friedl Dicker-Brandeis

*Rubin . Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Terezin is the moving story of the art therapist interned in Terezin who brought hope and light to the children whom she secretly taught to express themselves through art. Filled with reproductions of the children’s pictures.

Shepherd. A Price Below Rubies: Jewish Women as Rebels and Radicals explains why many Jewish women became activists in the latter part of the 19th century and focuses on seven radicals including Rosa Luxemburg and Emma Goldman among others.

Taitz. JPS Guide to Jewish Women: From 600 BCE-1900 CE is a valuable source with an historical overview of each time period and illustrated biographies of Jewish women from all parts of the world.

Taitz. Written Out of History: Our Jewish Foremothers was among the first books to search for and bring to light the accomplishments of unsung Jewish women from Biblical to modern times.

 

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