Holy Rebellion

“This volume is a true beacon of light at a time when Israeli society faces profoundly complex questions about its identity, in both its democratic and its Jewish character.”  * Contemporary Jewry * “Irshai and Zion-Waldoks’ book is an enrichment to the field of gender studies in Israel and for those interested in the developments Judaism is going through in the modern world.”  * Women in Judaism * “A hopeful study that doesn’t flinch from the real illiberal headwinds that Religious Zionist feminism faces within Israeli society. . . . A pivotal reference for the last fifty years of Religious Zionist feminism.”  * CCAR Journal * “A critically important history of Judaism in Israel and essential for academic collections on Israel, Judaism, and feminism.”  * AJL Newsletter * “A must-read for anyone seeking the most comprehensive account of the development of religious feminism in Israel to date. The unique combination of theoretical and sociological analysis leads to incisive analysis of the broader cultural, legal, social, and political implications of this phenomenon. An invaluable case study of possible modes of interaction between conservativism and radical change.” -- Tamar Ross, author of Expanding the Palace of Torah: Orthodoxy and Feminism “Holy Rebellion combines a compelling narrative with methodological rigor in this fascinating account of the impact of feminism on Israeli Orthodoxy.” -- Rabbi Rachel Adler, professor emerita of modern Jewish thought, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion “Holy Rebellion will become a classic in the field of religious feminist literature. This highly readable volume is the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis imaginable, from private observance of niddah to public rabbinic ordination of women to the implications the backlash holds for the very future of religion in Israel.” -- Blu Greenberg, author of On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition