Skip to content
Scan a barcode
Scan
Hardcover The Rabbi's Wife: The Rebbetzin in American Jewish Life Book

ISBN: 0814740162

ISBN13: 9780814740163

The Rabbi's Wife: The Rebbetzin in American Jewish Life

2006 National Jewish Book Award, Modern Jewish Thought
Long the object of curiosity, admiration, and gossip, rabbis' wives have rarely been viewed seriously as American Jewish religious and communal leaders. We know a great deal about the important role played by rabbis in building American Jewish life in this country, but not much about the role that their wives played. The Rabbi's Wife redresses that imbalance by highlighting the unique contributions of rebbetzins to the development of American Jewry.
Tracing the careers of rebbetzins from the beginning of the twentieth century until the present, Shuly Rubin Schwartz chronicles the evolution of the role from a few individual rabbis' wives who emerged as leaders to a cohort who worked together on behalf of American Judaism. The Rabbi's Wife reveals the ways these women succeeded in both building crucial leadership roles for themselves and becoming an important force in shaping Jewish life in America.

Recommended

Format: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good*

*Best Available: (ex-library)

$5.49
Save $83.51!
List Price $89.00
Almost Gone, Only 2 Left!

Customer Reviews

2 ratings

A Great Read

The Rabbi's Wife is not only first rate scholarship, it is a great read. Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz has given us a peak into the private lives of very public women, who dedicated their lives as helpmates to their clergy spouses and in the process helped shape American Judaism in the 21st Century. But this is not a book just for Jews about their own clergy and their spouses. It is a story that needs to be read and pondered by all faith communities who look to their clergy and their families as the center of their faith community and congregations. In addition to being a first tier scholar, Dr. Schwartz tells us amazing tales of women who rose above the restraints of their time and place in modern American history to lead, model, and persevere as visionaries and religious leaders in their own right. We are also permitted a glimpse into the complex, fishbowl existence of our clergy experiencing the hope, commitment, tensions, and pressures which surround their lives of service to the faithful. This is a must read for anyone who belongs to a church, synagogue, or mosque led by married clergy.

The Rabbi's Wife

"The Rabbi's Wife" is wonderful! Shuly Rubin Schwartz has achieved magic by writing a work of true scholarship that is so readable. She helps us to see what has been, for so long, invisible- the unheralded role of the Rebbetzin in making the American synagogue tick. She introduces us to unforgettable characters, and enables us to see the progress that women have made in this country over the last century. Most interestingly, she shows us marriages that were true partnerships in every sense of the word. Michael Katz, Westbury, New York
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
GoDaddy Verified and Secured