In this episode we continue to study modern midrashim written by women in the wake of October 7 with Tamar Biala, editor of the "Dirshuni" series.

Tamar Biala has been collecting and editing modern women’s midrashim for over 20 years and published them as part of the “Dirshuni” series, with two volumes in Hebrew and one in English. The first Hebrew volume was co-edited with Nehama Weingarten-Mintz.

Since October 7, Biala has received many texts relating to the Hamas attack and its aftermath. In this two-part session we will study these powerful texts written by women about grieving mothers and angry grandmothers, faith and doubt, the Jewish present and past and how they interact with one another.

To learn more about women's midrashim and Dirshuni, listen to this 2002 interview with Tamar Biala:

https://newbooksnetwork.com/dirshuni

Texts discussed in part 2:

1. All Your Brothers’ and Sisters’ Bloods are Crying to Me from the Soil
   Gili Mivtzari Zivan
   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aNGyHlWLSoPh-tIzkJfnit4iaG4sEcdYpAvO1sNDzzA/edit?usp=sharing
2. Redeeming Captive Women
   Oshrat Shoham https://docs.google.com/document/d/1130ptM6jQPTRuUT47bGrWLcOJD-70A00nWiuGifleXM/edit?usp=sharing
3. Sleeps and Slumbers, The Guardian of Israel
   Rivkah Lubitch
   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wr5hn_P0zmtrByKMZq4LOC7lwZzCe5uVGthg4AFl-LQ/edit?usp=sharing
4. Midrash One People to Another
   Rabbi Yael Vurgan
   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NmgwsUUv8mC33mawGrM_rhH8d8jcLNDg8outpF_TjCg/edit?usp=sharing

Support and amplify women's voices by contributing to the making of this podcast: Donate now to the Center for Women’s Justice.

Tamar Biala has been collecting and editing modern women’s midrashim for over 20 years and published them as part of the “Dirshuni” series, with two volumes in Hebrew and one in English. The first Hebrew volume was co-edited with Nehama Weingarten-Mintz.

Since October 7, Biala has received many texts relating to the Hamas attack and its aftermath. In this two-part session we will study these powerful texts written by women about grieving mothers and angry grandmothers, faith and doubt, the Jewish present and past and how they interact with one another.

In the introduction to this episode, Rivkah explains the background behind women’s midrashim. If you’d like to learn more, please listen to this 2022 interview with Tamar Biala about Dirshuni:

https://newbooksnetwork.com/dirshuni

See a video about Leora Ayalon’s granddaughter:

https://www.mako.co.il/mako-vod-keshet/heroes-s1/VOD-78a0c38dde9ec81027.htm

Texts discussed in Part 1:

1. Liora Ayalon’s midrash: “The Power of a Community to Diminish Suffering in the World”
   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1niJjmDMmEUCFaegsMxc_X5dJSU_nQadnL_wDO7TMv-8/edit?usp=sharing

2. Nurit Hirschfeld-Skupinsky’s midrash “Midrashim of Destruction”
   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m71SJkROg-lNBez6bfIAbOfxKjOPlagmIRmiedfoKpQ/edit?usp=sharing

Support and amplify women's voices by contributing to the making of this podcast: Donate now to the Center for Women’s Justice.

Thousands of Lone Soldiers come from all over the world to serve in the Israeli army. What caused these brave youngsters to leave everything and come to Israel? Where do they live? Who does their laundry when they get out for weekends? How do they pay rent?

Arlene Abrams is a mother of a lone soldier, Efraim. She talks about her son’s experience in the Gaza War. Ellen Tuggle is the mother of Zack, a lone soldier who finished his army service. She tells us about her work with Big Brother/Sister Organization.

Efraim Abrams at Yom Hazikaron Ceremony 2024

Big Brother/Sister organization

Support and amplify women's voices by contributing to the making of this podcast: Donate now to the Center for Women’s Justice.

Anne Rethmann, a PhD fellow from Berlin studying at Hebrew University, explains how the notion of “dignity” entered into the discourse on human rights, and describes the gap between individual human rights and collective human rights. Anne also tells us about her personal experience on October 7, and how various countries, particularly Germany, responded to the war.

Support and amplify women's voices by contributing to the making of this podcast: Donate now to the Center for Women’s Justice.

Nigun Halev is a center for Jewish life, ritual, social action, and culture. Rabbi Liora Ezrachi-Vered, Rabbi of Nigun Halev and board member of Tag Meir, talks about their work with Jewish and Arab evacuees of the Galil.

https://www.facebook.com/nigunhalev

Support and amplify women's voices by contributing to the making of this podcast: Donate now to the Center for Women’s Justice.

Esther Markus, a social worker and therapist, manager of clinic resilience center of Sdot Negev, and member of Kibbutz Alumim talks to us about her experience on Oct. 7th and the work she has been doing since. The personal tragic story of her husband’s death is part of the bigger story of the horrific attack of Hamas.

Support and amplify women's voices by contributing to the making of this podcast: Donate now to the Center for Women’s Justice.

Hana Cooper, a digital selections collector for the National Library of Israel, collects online materials related to October 7 and the ensuing war for the massive ”Bearing Witness” project. While the library has always collected material on historical events, this is the first time it became actively involved from the start. We learn from Hana the ethical and logistical challenges of collecting, sorting and ensuring access to the vast amounts of material in both Israel and the Diaspora. All of us can get involved by finding and submitting materials that document, memorialize or preserve the events of October 7 and their aftermath.

The library recently commended Hana for her work on this project.

To learn more about the project and submit materials, go to the National Library website.

Previous episodes mentioned in this podcast:
With Hannah Wacholder Katsman

With Dr. Sarai Aharoni

Support and amplify women's voices by contributing to the making of this podcast: Donate now to the Center for Women’s Justice.

Dr. Susan Weiss, founder and director of the Center for Women’s Justice, interviews podcast host and to'enet rabbanit Rivkah Lubitch about how Jewish law might affect women in the aftermath of the Gaza war. Susan and Rivkah talk about women who might not be able to get divorced (agunot); women who might need their brother-in-law’s permission to remarry (halitzah); and women who may — or may not — have been raped, and how that affects their relationships. Who might be affected adversely by Jewish law? Who might be absolved? How, if at all, will the rabbis resolve the issues raised? Will there be a systemic solution for all the cases that arise, or will each case be decided on its own? And what does the State have to do with it?

Podcast interview with Hannah Wacholder Katsman on “Exit Strategy” here.

Support and amplify women's voices by contributing to the making of this podcast: Donate now to the Center for Women’s Justice.