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sashamrti's review against another edition
4.0
i would give it 5 stars but the Zionist perspective in some of the essays really disturbed me
dominic_t's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This was a really interesting collection of essays that represented a wide range of views. I read the updated version that was published in 1989, and I'm glad I read that version. The editor noted that the situation in Israel and Palestine had changed greatly since the original publication and added a new piece by an activist in the peace movement.
Not everything in this anthology ages well. One piece was by Adrienne Rich, and I can't read that piece without knowing how transphobic and transmisogynistic she was. It makes me wonder how many of the authors held and promoted transphobic and transmisogynistic values in the course of their work. Some of them referenced the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, a music festival now remembered for its exclusion of trans women. However, this anthology predates the anti-trans incident that incited yearly protests by trans people and allies. I'm curious about how their views on trans people evolved as trans people became more visible and the trans movement gained strength.
The conversation about antisemitism vs. anti-Zionism is another piece that didn't age well. All of the pieces on this topic said that anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic and brushed aside criticism that Zionism is racist. None of the essays really engaged with the idea that Zionism is racist; they didn't bother exploring why some people believe that, so they didn't counter any of the specific claims. They also gave examples of people being antisemitic while claiming to be anti-Zionist, but they didn't engage with the actual ideology. It's telling that they were happy to paint anti-Zionists with a broad brush saying that they're antisemitic, but they threw a fit when anti-Zionists said that Zionism is racist. Several of the essayists were in the process of unpacking their complicated feelings around Israel, and this was an aspect that needed to be unpacked further.
I was happy to see that the essayists were fairly diverse. They had multiple women of color and one convert. It would have been cool to see a few more women of color and women from non-Ashkenazi backgrounds, but the diversity was still pretty good.
One of my favorite pieces was "Living in the In-Between" by Chaya Shoshana. Chaya is a convert like I am, and a lot of what she said really resonated with me. "I was drawn to the reality of a communal identity that would travel with me, a community that existed both as an identifiable entity in the world and as something contained within me...Each person is responsible for the active affirmation and continuation of the community..." (p. 93). I really loved this explanation of the role of community in Judaism. This also resonated with me: "As a Jew I became whole: tied to the seasons, a necessary member of the community, and bound by an ethic of activism" (p. 94).
The section on Israel was interesting. As I mentioned above, the editor actually added a new piece to this section, and that greatly improved the entire book. I've also read another book called Lesbiot that was a series of oral histories of Israeli lesbians from the late 80s and early 90s, and I actually recognized a couple of the names in this section from that book. In Lesbiot, the lesbians interviewed brought up their work in the Israeli peace movement repeatedly. I found it simultaneously interesting and disappointing that most of the essays in this section didn't really touch on the occupation. The essays were still good, but I found it a weird omission given that so much of the lesbian movement in Israel has a long history with the peace movement. "Letters from My Aunt" was a really sweet series of letters between a lesbian niece and her lesbian aunt. The new piece in this section, "Yom Hashoah, Yom Yerushalayim: A Meditation" is probably my favorite piece in the entire book. In this essay, Irena Klepfisz writes about her activism in the Israeli/Palestinian peace movement. I found it incredibly moving when she talked about meeting Palestinians and working in solidarity with them. She wrote a beautiful speech to commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and she talked about balancing her desire to honor Holocaust survivors with her need to connect the current oppression of Palestinians with the historical oppression of the Jews. She maintains throughout the essay that she believes that Jews have a right to a homeland but also believes that Palestinians should have their own state. I'm curious to know if she still feels that way because a lot of activists and organizations are moving away from supporting a two state solution towards supporting one democratic state for both Palestinians and Jews that doesn't prioritize one religion over another.
I think this book is worth reading because it has some really interesting insights and personal narratives. However, you do have to approach it with the understanding that it was written more than thirty years ago. It's fair to criticize it and point out the things that didn't age well, but it's also important to recognize how important it was when it was written.
Not everything in this anthology ages well. One piece was by Adrienne Rich, and I can't read that piece without knowing how transphobic and transmisogynistic she was. It makes me wonder how many of the authors held and promoted transphobic and transmisogynistic values in the course of their work. Some of them referenced the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, a music festival now remembered for its exclusion of trans women. However, this anthology predates the anti-trans incident that incited yearly protests by trans people and allies. I'm curious about how their views on trans people evolved as trans people became more visible and the trans movement gained strength.
The conversation about antisemitism vs. anti-Zionism is another piece that didn't age well. All of the pieces on this topic said that anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic and brushed aside criticism that Zionism is racist. None of the essays really engaged with the idea that Zionism is racist; they didn't bother exploring why some people believe that, so they didn't counter any of the specific claims. They also gave examples of people being antisemitic while claiming to be anti-Zionist, but they didn't engage with the actual ideology. It's telling that they were happy to paint anti-Zionists with a broad brush saying that they're antisemitic, but they threw a fit when anti-Zionists said that Zionism is racist. Several of the essayists were in the process of unpacking their complicated feelings around Israel, and this was an aspect that needed to be unpacked further.
I was happy to see that the essayists were fairly diverse. They had multiple women of color and one convert. It would have been cool to see a few more women of color and women from non-Ashkenazi backgrounds, but the diversity was still pretty good.
One of my favorite pieces was "Living in the In-Between" by Chaya Shoshana. Chaya is a convert like I am, and a lot of what she said really resonated with me. "I was drawn to the reality of a communal identity that would travel with me, a community that existed both as an identifiable entity in the world and as something contained within me...Each person is responsible for the active affirmation and continuation of the community..." (p. 93). I really loved this explanation of the role of community in Judaism. This also resonated with me: "As a Jew I became whole: tied to the seasons, a necessary member of the community, and bound by an ethic of activism" (p. 94).
The section on Israel was interesting. As I mentioned above, the editor actually added a new piece to this section, and that greatly improved the entire book. I've also read another book called Lesbiot that was a series of oral histories of Israeli lesbians from the late 80s and early 90s, and I actually recognized a couple of the names in this section from that book. In Lesbiot, the lesbians interviewed brought up their work in the Israeli peace movement repeatedly. I found it simultaneously interesting and disappointing that most of the essays in this section didn't really touch on the occupation. The essays were still good, but I found it a weird omission given that so much of the lesbian movement in Israel has a long history with the peace movement. "Letters from My Aunt" was a really sweet series of letters between a lesbian niece and her lesbian aunt. The new piece in this section, "Yom Hashoah, Yom Yerushalayim: A Meditation" is probably my favorite piece in the entire book. In this essay, Irena Klepfisz writes about her activism in the Israeli/Palestinian peace movement. I found it incredibly moving when she talked about meeting Palestinians and working in solidarity with them. She wrote a beautiful speech to commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and she talked about balancing her desire to honor Holocaust survivors with her need to connect the current oppression of Palestinians with the historical oppression of the Jews. She maintains throughout the essay that she believes that Jews have a right to a homeland but also believes that Palestinians should have their own state. I'm curious to know if she still feels that way because a lot of activists and organizations are moving away from supporting a two state solution towards supporting one democratic state for both Palestinians and Jews that doesn't prioritize one religion over another.
I think this book is worth reading because it has some really interesting insights and personal narratives. However, you do have to approach it with the understanding that it was written more than thirty years ago. It's fair to criticize it and point out the things that didn't age well, but it's also important to recognize how important it was when it was written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Genocide, Rape, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Racial slurs
lillillilli's review against another edition
4.0
can’t believe how long this took me to read. so many brilliant musings about lesbian/jewish identities and communities, and antisemitism. especially loved the contributions from irena klepfisz, adrienne rich, judith plaskow. the lib zionist sentiments of the 80s didn’t age well (klepfisz has said this in hindsight) and i had to skip some parts but still so so so worth reading
halschrieve's review against another edition
5.0
I read one of the earlier editions of this book, from the 1970s. It's an incredible historical document, and--thrillingly --includes fairly early work by writers like Adrienne Rich and Elana Dykewomon that would become even more prominent in their circles over the coming generations. In the early edition I read many of the contributors were Holocaust survivors or people whose families had immigrated in the years immediately preceding ; there are also some contributors from Arab countries whose families fled in the wake of anti-Jewish measures their states enacted in the wake of Israel's founding. In addition, there are a couple contributions from black Jewish women. Because the volume I read was from the 1970s, its politics concerning Israel have a markedly different tone, which is useful for me, for context. It's an incredible book that tries to do a lot of things with itself . It doesn't cover all ground , and many of its contributors have been the subject of heated debate and scrutiny, many for good reason, but it was important when it was written and is equally vital now.
mnatale100's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Outing, Sexism, Antisemitism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Death, Xenophobia, Genocide, Grief, and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Violence
kebbymoxie's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This book was amazing and incredibly validating to read. I cried at several passages. There is some outdated language as well as idealistic views of the Israel/Palestine conflict, that make certain entries a bit tense. I highly recommend this especially if you're a Jewish Lesbian.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Suicide, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Genocide, War, Sexual violence, Outing, Antisemitism, and Misogyny
eliannahl's review
5.0
One of the best books I have ever read. If you want to learn more about the History of intersectionality, I highly suggest this book. It offers a wide variety of stories and personal anecdotes on the history of intersectionality before intersectionality was even a term.
boneloose's review
5.0
I loved the variety of media involved in this anthology. Instead of it simply being a bunch of essays, there were several poems, a couple stories, and even a recorded conversation and some excerpts from letters. Also, the essays weren't written in super academic language, so they were not difficult to comprehend. While some of the passages were pretty sad (to be expected, it's about being a Jewish lesbian in the 80s and even earlier), there were some that were more empowering that really stuck with me. Several lines even made me go "ooh" out loud, which rarely happens. My favorite passage was definitely "Coffee and Cake." I liked the alternative format as a story instead of an essay. Also, some of the lines were really powerful. I was highlighting powerful quotes sporadically throughout the book, but four of those alone are from this one story. I love reading literature that leaves an impact. I have marked several pages to go back to and think about more deeply.
My only critique is the way age gaps in relationships were handled. It almost brought my rating down to 4 stars. Significant age gaps were discussed, but I felt that they were not condemned at all. For example, one author in the book talks about how her 13 year old lesbian daughter was involved with a 21 year old woman, and the author only expressed being upset with her daughter being a lesbian and being "rebellious," as opposed to being in a relationship with someone literally almost twice as old as her. Also, I'm not sure if I interpreted this correctly, but from my current understanding in a different area of the book an author mentions how she was involved with a teenager when she was presumably an adult. The nonchalance about these significant age gaps doesn't sit well with me at all. There's already pervasive stereotypes about gay people being pedophiles, and it's very uncomfortable to realize that these stereotypes, although taken to an extreme, have at least somewhat of a basis in reality.
Overall, my opinion of the book was very high. Some passages really stuck with me, and I found myself wanting to stop and annotate to really think about the text more, which is something I had never experienced before. I have some critiques, but the good outweighed the bad. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about the experience of Jewish lesbians, because this book opens a very honest, open, and needed dialogue.
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