Sarah laughed : modern lessons from the wisdom & stories of biblical women

Format:

Book

Title:

Sarah laughed : modern lessons from the wisdom & stories of biblical women

Author:

Ochs, Vanessa L.

ISBN:

9780071402903

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

xxii, 233 pages ; 24 cm

Contents:

Being wise -- Living in a woman's body -- Being a friend -- Being a parent -- Healing -- Being in the divine presence.

Summary:

"In this collection, Judaic scholar Vanessa Ochs brings the legends of the biblical matriarchs to new life using her own form of midrash, a creative but scholarly reinterpretation of sacred works that puts flesh and bones on the original. Finding her own, distinctly female voice in this traditional art, Ochs retells the incredible stories of the biblical matriarchs, filling in the gaps and answering some of the key questions left behind by the original text." "For each of the women in Sarah Laughed, the author first translates the Hebrew passages in which the woman appears and then presents an eloquent new rendition of the story, offering a creative way to connect to these heroines, making their trials and triumphs relevant for women today."--Jacket.

Personal Subject:

Sarah (Biblical matriarch)

Subject(s):

Bible stories, English -- Old Testament.

Women in the Bible.

Genre:

Bible stories.

Bible stories

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... McMinnville Public Library	221.9 Ochs	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Just as Anita Diamant's The Red Tent spoke to hundreds of thousands of women by expanding and re-envisioning the Biblical story of Dina, Sarah Laughed retells the stories of other Biblical women, including Miriam (sister of Moses), Leah, Rachel, Naomi, Esther, Vashti (Queen Esther's predecessor), Eve, and of course, Sarah, wife of Abraham and eventually mother of Isaac (whose name means laughter). as well as what life was really like for women during Biblical times to created her own kind of midrash (a tradition in Judaism of expanding Biblical stories) so that the women's voices are unleashed and can resonate with today's women. She then writes a reflection on the lesson each woman's story has to offer and how that lesson can illuminate aspects of our lives, then offers a ritual for each. Eve's lesson is, of course, wisdom, and how it's learned from living life and experiencing life's ups and downs. The ritual is to invite friends to share a cake on your birthday (apple cake, of course) and share something that each has learned in the past year. Miriam's lesson is inspiration, and the ritual is to keep a list, or even photos, of your own Miriams who inspire you in different ways, and to make a conscious effort to be a Miriam for others.

Author Notes

Vanessa L. Ochs is the Ida and Nathan Kolodiz Director of Jewish Studies at the University of Virginia.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

With warmth, erudition and a very contemporary sensibility, Ochs offers reflections on the lives of Old Testament matriarchs that should appeal to women across religious lines. Director of Jewish Studies at the University of Virginia, Ochs uses her own research with unobtrusive grace to shed light on gaps in the biblical stories. While focused on the narratives, she chooses to combine an inspirational self-help message with Jewish lore and the testimony of modern female friends. Most often, she is successful, as when she discusses well-known figures like Sarah, laughing in reaction to the news that she will bear a child in her old age. "Sarah's laughter gives us perspective on our yearning. We can hear her laughter when we hold on to our dreams and when we decide it's time to relinquish them." Even when she grapples with enigmatic or tragic women, like Jephthah's daughter, Ochs finds parallels between their stories and the dilemmas of her modern readers. Divided thematically by topics such as friendship, parenting and healing, the chapters include translations from the Hebrew, a "midrash-like" commentary on the story and practical rituals designed to bring home the diverse lessons of this appealing book. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Library Journal Review

Ochs (Jewish & religious studies, Univ. of Virginia) has written an ardently and unstoppably upbeat reconsideration of some of the women who appear in Hebrew Scripture. Her approach blends semi-fictionalized retellings with her own contemporary reflections on the meanings of the "stories" she retells or elaborates from Scriptural sources. More traditionally minded Jews and Christians alike may be surprised to find, for instance, Jephthah's daughter celebrated for her self-sacrifice for her friends' sake, but Ochs's point has more to do with reshaping old interpretations to find uplifting models for contemporary women than pleasing conservative authorities. For most collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Introduction	p. xi
Part I Being Wise
Chapter 1 Eve: Tasting Wisdom	p. 3
Chapter 2 Hagar: Envisioning a Positive Outcome	p. 15
Chapter 3 Miriam: Inspiring Others	p. 25
Part II Living in a Woman's Body
Chapter 4 The Daughters of Tzlofhad: Speaking Out in a Man's World	p. 37
Chapter 5 The Woman of Valor: Repairing the World in Your Own Way	p. 47
Chapter 6 Esther: Setting One's Own Standards of Beauty	p. 57
Part III Being a Friend
Chapter 7 Dina: Embarking Upon New Relationships	p. 69
Chapter 8 Jephthah's Daughter: Being There for Friends	p. 79
Chapter 9 Naomi and Ruth: Revising Mother-Daughter Relationships	p. 91
Part IV Being a Parent
Chapter 10 Sarah: Protecting Your Dreams	p. 105
Chapter 11 Rebecca: Raising a Family in Partnership	p. 121
Chapter 12 Yocheved: Letting Children Go	p. 131
Part V Healing
Chapter 13 The Woman Who has Given Birth: Waiting for the Right Time	p. 143
Chapter 14 Job's Wife: Healing by Expressing Anger	p. 155
Chapter 15 Vashti: Taking Care of Yourself	p. 165
Part VI Being in the Divine Presence
Chapter 16 Leah: Feeling Blessed	p. 177
Chapter 17 Hannah: Seeking God	p. 187
Chapter 18 Women Who Bake Cakes for the Queen of Heaven: Worshipping as Women	p. 199
Afterword: An Invitation	p. 211
Acknowledgments	p. 213
Notes	p. 215
Index	p. 219

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents