A luminous collection that locates spiritual fulfillment in a rapt engagement with earthly problems.
Progressive social values sit at the heart of Jewish ethics, according to this heartfelt anthology.
The social justice NGO Women of Reform Judaism presents poems, songs, prayers, haiku, essays, and memories that examine sociopolitical issues through the lens of Jewish faith. The subjects run the gamut of progressive causes, including feminism and abortion rights; environmentalism and climate change; longings for a peaceful resolution to the Gaza war and the return of Israeli hostages; inclusion of marginalized gender and racial identities; the ongoing battle against antisemitism; and the perennial duty to, as Sherri Feuer’s militant poem “It’s Time” admonishes, “Stand up, speak out, take action / Protest, scream, and cry /…. Be boisterous and act boldly / Don’t just question why.” The contributors write in a wide range of styles and registers. Susan D. Pittelman indicts the gender pay gap with blunt statistical wonkery: “In 2002, women earned eighty cents to the [male] dollar. Progress? Yes. But in 2022, women earned only eighty-two cents for every dollar earned by men…Are we standing still or moving forward?” Gloria Tetewsky’s plangent, keening “Bilhah and Zilpah” explores the plight of unvalued women through the Torah story of Jacob’s concubines: “Was there that yearning in Bilhah and Zilpah for a share of his love? / A voice that said, ‘Notice me, I am a woman!’” Denise Sherer Jacobson delivers a tart, unsentimental take on living with cerebral palsy: “I don’t need pity or to be told I’m ‘such an inspiration!’ / Those words don’t lift my spirits / or help me feel accepted. / They just make me feel so little is expected of me.” And Rhoda Turitz London recites a limpid, tender kaddish for her mother, who led a life of social commitment: “She is a cherished memory: / An educator of minority children, / A role model for her three daughters, / A quiet seeker of justice, / A Jewish mother.” Readers will find here a stirring evocation of Reform Judaism’s moral core in a humble but tenacious mission to repair the world.
A luminous collection that locates spiritual fulfillment in a rapt engagement with earthly problems.Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780881236606
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Central Conference of American Rabbis Press
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.
Portraits in a post-pandemic world.
After the Covid-19 lockdowns left New York City’s streets empty, many claimed that the city was “gone forever.” It was those words that inspired Stanton, whose previous collections include Humans of New York (2013), Humans of New York: Stories (2015), and Humans (2020), to return to the well once more for a new love letter to the city’s humanity and diversity. Beautifully laid out in hardcover with crisp, bright images, each portrait of a New Yorker is accompanied by sparse but potent quotes from Stanton’s interviews with his subjects. Early in the book, the author sequences three portraits—a couple laughing, then looking serious, then the woman with tears in her eyes—as they recount the arc of their relationship, transforming each emotional beat of their story into an affecting visual narrative. In another, an unhoused man sits on the street, his husky eating out of his hand. The caption: “I’m a late bloomer.” Though the pandemic isn’t mentioned often, Stanton focuses much of the book on optimistic stories of the post-pandemic era. Among the most notable profiles is Myles Smutney, founder of the Free Store Project, whose story of reclaiming boarded‑up buildings during the lockdowns speaks to the city’s resilience. In reusing the same formula from his previous books, the author confirms his thesis: New York isn’t going anywhere. As he writes in his lyrical prologue, “Just as one might dive among coral reefs to marvel at nature, one can come to New York City to marvel at humanity.” The book’s optimism paints New York as a city where diverse lives converge in moments of beauty, joy, and collective hope.
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781250277589
Page Count: 480
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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