In the tradition of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club and Holy Days by Lis Harris, Rivka Zakutinsky and Yaffa Leba Gottlieb show the inner workings of a fascinating community of women that few outsiders will enter on their own. With humor and sensitivity, Around Sarah's Table focuses on the lives of ten Hasidic women and on the insights each gains from the weekly Torah reading, illustrating the ways in which each woman's life is infused with Judaism.
Brooklyn, 1991: A few Hasidic women begin meeting once a week for lunch and intimate learning with friends. The few soon grow to many, from backgrounds as diverse as those of any other segment of the Jewish population. Gathered together by Sarah -- mother of thirteen, girls' high school principal, facilitator, connector, and hostess -- they called themselves the "Women's Tuesday Torah Luncheon and Study Group." From Reva the publisher to Rachel the mikvah maven, Klara the lawyer, Levana the rebbitzin, and others, the daily joys and sorrows of each allow us to see through the stereotypes to truly connect with the real women who lie behind those images.
With the eyes, ears, and hearts of storytellers, Zakutinsky and Gottlieb generously introduce us to their very personal spiritual realm. Amidst a world filled with spiritual unrest and anxiety, Around Sarah's Table offers inspirational Hasidic and biblical interpretation gathered by women, for both women and men to follow. Less concerned with an academic approach to Bible study than with the traditional methods of "learning," the authors never seem to lose sight of how the ancient texts apply to their contemporary lives.
Fast paced but reverent, Around Sarah's Table introduces us to the unique experience of living life as a Hasidic woman, and reminds us that beyond all the labels that tend to keep us apart, we are all very much alike.
Around a kitchen table in Brooklyn in 1991, a few Hasidic women started meeting every week for lunch and Torah study. Around Sarah's Table, by Rivka Zakutinsky and Yaffa Leba Gottlieb, reveals the personal stories of this diverse group of women--including Shaina, the mother of two adopted children with Down Syndrome; Klara, a high-powered lawyer; and Levana, a rebbitzen, who's the moral compass for them all. Each of the book's 10 chapters begins with a passage from Genesis and then focuses on the story of one woman. Their stories converge in their striving to "elevate the physical and actualize the spiritual." As Sarah, a school principal and the group's hostess, explains, "Our most important work is the day-to-day, minute-to-minute adjustment of our attitude to feel love towards people." Readers unfamiliar with Hasidic traditions will discover a way of life that's ordered by the Torah in every detail. Readers more familiar with Hasidism will enjoy the satisfaction of seeing these often-stereotyped people faithfully and vibrantly described. --Michael Joseph Gross
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
A interesting but short book:
This book was interesting with various different stories about different women in the ultra-Othordox faith. However, many of the stories were too short for my liking, and often, they were not that interesting. It's a shame since it was a good idea just not written out that well. It's still a good read, and good for those who enjoy short stories and prefer short books.
A look into a little-known world:
(4.5 stars) This book, with its stories about ten different women, paints a vibrant picture of what it's really like to be a modern Hassidic woman. Too often the Hassidic and Hareidi communities (particularly the women) are horribly stereotyped, with people believing such things as how they're all unhappy, oppressed, seen as little more than brood mares, and denied an education. And while obviously the way of life for women in this world isn't exactly the same as it is for a woman in one of the... more info
Disappointing Luvavitch PR:
I had hoped for an unbiased and dispassionate look at the lives of observant Chasidic women, but found this book to be little more than a rah-rah shout out for the Lubavictch way of life.
Interesting, but...:
This book is written on around a 4th grade reading level, so if you are a person who is irritated by this type of writing (and you know who you are!) you might not want to waste your money on this book. I did not think the book was an especially enjoyable read, or containing anything that other Jewish women's books, many of which are much more interesting, do not already have.
