At some point in most of our lives, whether as women or girls, we’ve been told to be ladylike, to not be so emotional, to cede leadership roles to men. And for Jewish women, whether owing to persecution, religious traditions, survival (and plenty of additional reasons), the silencing and erasure can be even more profound.
Seeing a need to shine a spotlight on unknown or forgotten historical figures and that there’s a trove of Jewish women for Jewish girls and boys, and their families, to take immense pride in, authors Julie Esther Silverstein and Tami Schlossberg Pruwer have written Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales Of Daring Jewish Women. The book is available now and aimed at children 8-14.
The illuminating and powerful biographies Silverstein and Schlossberg Pruwer have collected present women who did not sit down and keep quiet, summoning chutzpah to defeat enemies, make scientific discoveries, preserve disappearing cultures, and become Paralympic medalists.
An illustration in the new book “Chutzpah Girls.” (courtesy)
There are queens, activists, actors, fashion designers and, of course, Supreme Court Justices. The book travels across the centuries, highlighting women in the 21st century, like IDF combat veteran Inbal Lieberman, who led the successful defense of Kibbutz Nir Am during the Oct. 7 attacks, and going all the way back to ancient Israel when Abigail, wife of Nabal, demonstrated keen negotiating skills and prevented David and his soldiers from going to war against her people after her husband insulted the future king
No doubt there are more women that audiences have never heard of than who are familiar names like Anne Frank, Mayim Bialik and Ruth Handler. I was fascinated to learn about novelist Meera Jacobs Mahadev, who was part of the Bene Israel community of Jews in India. A childcare pioneer, she founded Mobile Creches and Mobile School to assist children and working mothers in some of the poorest areas of Delhi. The Polgar Sisters, chess wizards raised in Communist Hungary, have their own story of incredible achievements. Two of the three, Susan and Judit, were awarded the title of Grandmaster, the highest honor in the sport.
The profiles in Chutzpah Girls, accompanied by colorful, inviting illustrations, are just snapshots. These inspiring Jewish heroines will have Jewish (and non-Jewish) readers of all ages eager to find out more about them and other Jewish badasses.
