My Life as a Radical Jewish Woman: Memoirs of a Zionist Feminist in Poland

by Barbara Harshav (Translator), Paula E Hyman (Translator), Puah Rakovsky

Professional educator, Zionist activist, and feminist leader--Puah Rakovsky (1865-1955) was born under the Russian Empire and died in the independent country of Israel. No mere bystander to history, Rakovsky was an activist who assumed leadership roles in the public arenas of education and politics, founding the first Jewish girls school in Warsaw and a national Jewish women s organization in 1920s Poland. In her memoir Rakovsky reflects on the position of Jewish women in her time and gives her personal and political perspective on central events of modern Jewish history from her childhood until her emigration to the Land of Israel in 1935.

Genres: Judaism, Feminism, School, Jewish, Poland, Judaica, Autobiography

204 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Barbara Harshav has been translating works from French, German, Hebrew and Yiddish for over twenty years and has currently published over forty books of translation including works of poetry, drama, fiction, philosophy, economics, sociology, and history.

Reviews

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Even though I was an avowed heretic, I was deeply rooted in Jewish tradition.” I love this memoir and assigned it in “Spinoza to Seinfeld: A History of Jewish Secularism” for many semesters. The students were struck by Rakovsky’s childhood in Poland, one of 21 children in a religious family, and then, the sudden realization of her atheism. Though an atheist, she became a fierce advocate of Jewish rights, Jewish language (first Yiddish, then Hebrew), women’s education and Jewish socialism. Her radicalism led her to Zionism and eventually settling in the Land of Israel where she was an odd duck among the Hebrew-speaking Zionists who saw her advocacy of Yiddish as outdated. A lovely artifact of not-uncommon phenomena of Jews losing God but maintaining observance and cultural/national consciousness. It also preserves a Zionism that was part of the left socialist tradition. One of her sons abandons Jewish identity for Communism, leading to some heartbreaking scenes of revolution betrayed.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting female figure in Jewish history. The topics got somewhat repetitive, but the trends and challenges Puah experiences are strikingly modern. Her accomplishments were inspirational.

[Yasmine Flodin-Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beautiful memoir, gives a very special insight into a very tumultuous time period.

[Mich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 80 pages of this memoir by Puah Rakokovsky provides fascinating insight into the culture of the Jews in Poland in the late 1880s and 1890s, particularly with regard to their attitude to women. The strength of Puah in resisting these practices and going through two divorces to finally get liberated is a thrilling read in what should be required of those studying gender inequalities. Parallel to her troubles, we have the pogroms. Following this very personal description of her struggles, we are then introduced to her efforts to provide education for girls and her promotion of including Jewish women in the Zionist movements. Her story gets particularly bogged down with her back and forth to Palestine, her dealings with various committees, her taking care of her orphaned grandchildren and sundry other relatives. It also becomes somewhat tiresome, other than for those who are really interested in the early Socialist and Communist involvement of Jews in Poland and Russia, to read about the blow-by blow struggles of Jewish supporters.
At least read the first 80 pages. What an inspiring story!

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is perfunctory and sometimes repetitive but Radovsky provides great insight into the life of educated professional Jewish women (in particular) who remained in Eastern Europe and did not immigrate -- like millions of their poorer relatives -- to America. She spoke many languages -- Yiddish, Polish, Russian, German, and Hebrew -- and taught most of them. She and her family traveled throughout Europe, and eventually to Israel. What I found most fascinating was that fact that many in her family -- siblings and children -- were in such a wide variety of political groups, from Bundists, to Zionists, to anarchists, to Bolsheviks -- and they all stayed in touch and were close with one another. There's a lot of information, but what's lacking here is the emotional fabric of her life and introspection.

[Terry Waslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading. Excellent insight to the history and politics of her time. She was born in Poland in 1865. She had a strong feminist sensibility and explained it well in her memoir.