The Hebrew Priestess: Ancient and New Visions of Jewish Women's Spiritual Leadership

by Jill Hammer, Taya Shere

It has been barely 40 years since rabbinical seminaries began ordaining women as rabbis. But women have played a role in Jewish religious leadership from the days of the Bible and even before. Miriam the Prophetess and Deborah the Judge are just the two most prominent of these women, most of whose names are lost to history. The Hebrew Priestess tells the stories of these women, often reading between the lines of the Bible and Talmud to rediscover the women that rabbinic editors tried to erase. The authors bring a unique vantage They are founders of the Kohenet Institute, which trains Jewish women as religious leaders - as Hebrew priestesses. They believe the spiritual gifts of Jewish women cannot be incorporated into Judaism unless women explore the Divine through their own lens. The Kohenet Institute offers an embodied, ecstatic earth-based approach to Jewish spiritual practice and leadership. The Hebrew Priestess weaves together a careful examination of historical antecedents of these new priestesses, along with the personal experiences of women who embarked on this new path of Jewish priestesshood. The Hebrew Priestess delineates 13 models of spiritual leadership - among them prophetess, weaver, drummer, shrinekeeper, midwife, mother, maiden, witch, and fool - and shows how each model was manifest in ancient times, its continuation through Jewish history, and how women in our day are following that path. Finally, it shows how you can incorporate part of that path into your own life. Ambitious, erudite, practical, and deeply personal, the Hebrew Priestsess offers a deep connection to Jewish history and to profound holy experiences today. "A very readable and much-needed book!" ­-Starhawk "An extraordinary and amazing work." -Alicia Ostriker "A book to savor." ­-Max Dashu "The articulation of my dreams and longings." -Rabbi Shefa Gold "Read this book, but don't stop there-live it as well!" -Rabbi Rami Shapiro

Genres: Jewish, Judaism, Feminism, Nonfiction, Religion, Spirituality, Faith

328 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2015

About the author

Jill Hammer is a celebrated author, scholar, poet, rabbi, ritualist and dreamworker. The Moonstone Covenant, forthcoming in fall 2024, is her first work of fantasy. Like some of her characters, she has a deep love of books, trees, water, and mysterious journeys. She is also the author of Undertorah: An Earth-Based Kabbalah of Dreaming, Return to the Place: The Magic, Meditation, and Mystery of Sefer Yetzirah, The Hebrew Priestess: Ancient and New Visions of Jewish Women’s Spiritual Leadership (with Taya Shere), The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons, The Omer Calendar of Biblical Women, Sisters at Sinai: New Tales of Biblical Women, and The Book of Earth and Other Mysteries. She lives with her family in Manhattan. You can learn more about her and her books at themoonstonecovenant.net or jillhammer.net.

Reviews

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a toss up to me. On one hand it includes some quality scholarship (that's uncomfortable and necessary to read, sit with, acknowledge) and on the other hand I feel quite a bit is wishful thinking. Some of the archetypes felt like splitting hairs and could have been combined. I found some of the practices by Taya to be well intentioned but not well thought out as far as physical abelism. That said, though, there's a lot in this book that isn't being talked about that should be. Priestesses exist and have existed within Judaism, there is a female aspect to God/ess within Judaism, the textual references were spot on, and bringing modern ('conservative') attention to the matters is a mitzvah. Recommended, to certain audience.

[Jessika Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so grateful for this book. It has answered many questions I had and opened up more areas I'd like to explore.