The JGirl’s Guide: The Young Jewish Woman’s Handbook for Coming of Age - Adelman, Penina, et al. Jewish Lights, 2005. 224p. $14.99, Paperback. ISBN 1580232159. 296.7’0835 Jewish girls—Conduct of life—Juvenile literature. Jewish girls—Religious life—Juvenile literature. Coming of age—Juvenile literature.
There is a dearth of up-to-date books that address the needs and concerns of Jewish teens, so the publishing of The JGirl’s Guide provides a welcome addition to a youth, high school or teen section in a synagogue library.
Ali Feldman was an intern at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and had started writing a book for teenage girls when Shulamit Reinharz, the institute’s founding director, introduced her to Penina Adelman, a writer and social worker whose daughter was preparing for her Bat Mitzvah. The three women collaborated to transform Ali’s work into this interactive survival guide.
Introductory portions are a bit repetitive, but the chapters themselves are informative and written in a positive manner that will appeal to "tweens." Friendship, health, stress, self-esteem, sexuality, communications, eating, and identity are among the topics discussed.
Each chapter has various sections. For example, in the chapter "Thinking Before I Speak," Ali starts with a letter to JGirl relating how one of her high school classmates was slandered by another student. "Learn" explains the Jewish tradition of guarding your tongue. In "Write," the JGirl is asked to think of examples of negative speech and her reaction to it and to write a prayer asking God for help in monitoring the language she uses with others. There is another "Learn" which recounts a famous Jewish legend of a rabbi who tells a gossiper to cut a pillow and then bring him all the feathers. The moral is that the feathers are like words: "once they are out it’s impossible to get them back." "Jewish Sources" cites biblical injunctions about speaking falsely. "Discuss" gives quotations from The Proverbs, including "Death and Life are in the power of the tongue" (18:2). "Sayings of the Mothers" features contemporary comments by young women. In "The Consequences of Gossip," Miriam and Aaron speak out against Moses’ wife, and Miriam is punished. There are some questions, a paragraph on "Silence" and one with "Final Words."
JGirl is recommended for teens and for their discussion groups with parents and peers.
Reviewed by:
Evelyn Pockrass
Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation
Indianapolis, Indiana
