By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
When I was visiting a friend this summer, we got to talking about food. It was a funny conversation because she kept saying whatever food I mentioned (for example, sushi) was disgusting. It turned into such a joke that I was thrilled when I was able to say that some…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
In her biography on the Binghamton University website, Talia Katz lists her areas of interest as “trauma, violence, language, subjectivity, history of medicine, gender.” An assistant professor of Israeli studies who trained as an anthropologist, Katz combines a …
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
When I was talking to a non-Jewish friend this summer about a Jewish fantasy novel that I was reading, he expressed surprise that there was such a thing as Jewish fantasy. The elements of these works can be found as far back as talmudic times: the belief in demons, …
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
As part of my chaplaincy work, I often read or tell Jewish stories. They’re a great way to teach a lesson or get a point across without sounding pedantic. Many of them are also great fun and I have favorites that I tend to repeat. However, there are very few women …
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Some reviews are more difficult to write than others, especially when there is a difference between my personal and professional opinions about the work. I am able to recognize when a book is excellent, but it just doesn’t resonate with me. That’s the case with …
