What do you think?
Rate this book
A Body Of Her Own: Jewish Women Sharing Intimate Stories About Their Mikveh Rituals
A rare glimpse behind the scenes of one of Judaism’s oldest ritualsElla Kanner grew up as a secular Jew until age 18. Today she is Orthodox, with insight into both sides of the Jewish experience. Her book reveals the emotional and spiritual response of different women to the inner sanctity of the Mikveh, the Jewish ritual of purification, one of Judaism’s oldest and most special ceremonies.
A Body of Her Own presents absorbing monologues by women of various ages, localities, and levels of society. With remarkable openness and sensitivity, the women tell of their most intimate parts of their lives. They speak of difficulties, lies, excitement, shame, sanctity, and the discomfort.
The book brings to light the personal and unique perspective of different women’s relationships with their bodies, its connection with their womanhood, and the effect the ritual of the Mikveh has on their lives.
A Body of Her Own presents absorbing monologues by women of various ages, localities, and levels of society. With remarkable openness and sensitivity, the women tell of their most intimate parts of their lives. They speak of difficulties, lies, excitement, shame, sanctity, and the discomfort.
The book brings to light the personal and unique perspective of different women’s relationships with their bodies, its connection with their womanhood, and the effect the ritual of the Mikveh has on their lives.
151 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 14, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 30, 2020
‘The mikvah is like a womb, it protects and embraces’
Israeli author Ella Kanner earned her PhD and is a feminist activist in Israel’s religious sector. Her work includes education, training individuals and groups, running a dance studio, and promoting the values of equality, female expression, coexistence and peace.
For those uninformed as to Jewish culture, ‘The mikvah is a ritual bath designed for the Jewish rite of purification – to achieve ritual purity.’ This concept opens Ella’s debut book that includes monologues from women of varying ages, locales and levels of society as responses to the mikvah. Sharing her initial experience with the mikvah provides a bonding with her readers. As she writes, ‘I began writing this book with a doctorate in mind. I was instinctively drawn to the connection between the monologues and feminist interpretation. Initially, I thought of combining interviews with being a participating observer, interweaving them with the writings of prominent thinkers, and deal with what would emerge from the texts about the body, sexuality, power relations, religions, rituals and so on. But the more monologues I heard from the mikvah, the more firmly I decided to submit them in their untouched purity, and allow their voices to be heard, free and unbounded by the confines of interpretation.’
What follows in this inspiring book is a series of monologues, each titled by only the first name and age of the woman sharing, and each unique in the personal moments the mikvah produces, yet universal in the themes each of these women offer. Orthodox rituals of sexual abstinence during menstruation, the need for cleansing on many levels, the pre-wedding mikvah experience, using the mikvah as a place for taking revenge in marital conflicts, using a nature source instead of a mikvah pool, and more – the many monologues cover a broad realm of topics.
The women who have contributed to Ella’s book come from many different backgrounds and ages and that makes the messages even more universal. This is a book to treasure for all women, but it is also a book the illuminates an aspect of life that allows men to appreciate the feminine vantage. Reading this book is a cleansing experience – one very highly recommended for all readers.
Israeli author Ella Kanner earned her PhD and is a feminist activist in Israel’s religious sector. Her work includes education, training individuals and groups, running a dance studio, and promoting the values of equality, female expression, coexistence and peace.
For those uninformed as to Jewish culture, ‘The mikvah is a ritual bath designed for the Jewish rite of purification – to achieve ritual purity.’ This concept opens Ella’s debut book that includes monologues from women of varying ages, locales and levels of society as responses to the mikvah. Sharing her initial experience with the mikvah provides a bonding with her readers. As she writes, ‘I began writing this book with a doctorate in mind. I was instinctively drawn to the connection between the monologues and feminist interpretation. Initially, I thought of combining interviews with being a participating observer, interweaving them with the writings of prominent thinkers, and deal with what would emerge from the texts about the body, sexuality, power relations, religions, rituals and so on. But the more monologues I heard from the mikvah, the more firmly I decided to submit them in their untouched purity, and allow their voices to be heard, free and unbounded by the confines of interpretation.’
What follows in this inspiring book is a series of monologues, each titled by only the first name and age of the woman sharing, and each unique in the personal moments the mikvah produces, yet universal in the themes each of these women offer. Orthodox rituals of sexual abstinence during menstruation, the need for cleansing on many levels, the pre-wedding mikvah experience, using the mikvah as a place for taking revenge in marital conflicts, using a nature source instead of a mikvah pool, and more – the many monologues cover a broad realm of topics.
The women who have contributed to Ella’s book come from many different backgrounds and ages and that makes the messages even more universal. This is a book to treasure for all women, but it is also a book the illuminates an aspect of life that allows men to appreciate the feminine vantage. Reading this book is a cleansing experience – one very highly recommended for all readers.
March 31, 2020
An insightful and inspiring book...
For those unfamiliar with Jewish culture, ‘The mikvah is a ritual bath designed for the Jewish rite of purification – to achieve ritual purity.’ Israeli author Ella Kanner PhD is a feminist activist in Israel’s religious sector. Her work also includes education, training individuals and groups, running a dance studio, and promoting the values of equality, female expression, coexistence and peace.
To paraphrase the Foreword: The author began writing this book with a doctorate in mind. She was instinctively drawn to the connection between monologues and feminist interpretation. Initially, she thought of combining interviews with being a participating observer, interweaving them with the writings of prominent thinkers, and deal with what would emerge from the texts about the body, sexuality, power relations, religion, rituals and so on. But the more monologues she heard from the mikvah, the more firmly she decided to submit them in their untouched purity, and allow their voices to be heard, free and unbounded by the confines of interpretation.
Pseudonyms are used for the contributors to tell their stories more freely, and what results makes for some very insightful and interesting reading. This is a book that all women will appreciate and cherish. It’s also a book that will shed light on an aspect of female life that will allow men to appreciate more what it means to be a woman. Highly recommended reading.
For those unfamiliar with Jewish culture, ‘The mikvah is a ritual bath designed for the Jewish rite of purification – to achieve ritual purity.’ Israeli author Ella Kanner PhD is a feminist activist in Israel’s religious sector. Her work also includes education, training individuals and groups, running a dance studio, and promoting the values of equality, female expression, coexistence and peace.
To paraphrase the Foreword: The author began writing this book with a doctorate in mind. She was instinctively drawn to the connection between monologues and feminist interpretation. Initially, she thought of combining interviews with being a participating observer, interweaving them with the writings of prominent thinkers, and deal with what would emerge from the texts about the body, sexuality, power relations, religion, rituals and so on. But the more monologues she heard from the mikvah, the more firmly she decided to submit them in their untouched purity, and allow their voices to be heard, free and unbounded by the confines of interpretation.
Pseudonyms are used for the contributors to tell their stories more freely, and what results makes for some very insightful and interesting reading. This is a book that all women will appreciate and cherish. It’s also a book that will shed light on an aspect of female life that will allow men to appreciate more what it means to be a woman. Highly recommended reading.
October 28, 2024
Interesting and Educational
I do not know anything about these ritual/religious baths that are performed by many Jewish women. It was interesting to read about the different perspectives of various women: what participation means to them personally, do they dread it, find it edifying, welcome it, avoid it etc?
As a mature woman and Christian, I couldn't deal with the custom several women described following their wedding ceremony of going into a room with your new husband to be "deflowered" and then bring the handkerchief with your blood to the mother in law proving you were a virgin!
There were a few editing misses but nothing to detract from the book. It's not a book I will save to my kindle but I don't regret reading it.
I do not know anything about these ritual/religious baths that are performed by many Jewish women. It was interesting to read about the different perspectives of various women: what participation means to them personally, do they dread it, find it edifying, welcome it, avoid it etc?
As a mature woman and Christian, I couldn't deal with the custom several women described following their wedding ceremony of going into a room with your new husband to be "deflowered" and then bring the handkerchief with your blood to the mother in law proving you were a virgin!
There were a few editing misses but nothing to detract from the book. It's not a book I will save to my kindle but I don't regret reading it.
October 27, 2024
Interesting reading about Jewish women
I thought the book to be interesting as Ella Kanner gives us insight about Jewish women and the mikvah rituals. Their feelings towards this ritual. Their reaction to being naked in front of others, their nakedness as part how they feel about themselves, their spouse.
The book has interesting insights by the women themselves. Rituals and religion and their different aspects.
I thought the book to be interesting as Ella Kanner gives us insight about Jewish women and the mikvah rituals. Their feelings towards this ritual. Their reaction to being naked in front of others, their nakedness as part how they feel about themselves, their spouse.
The book has interesting insights by the women themselves. Rituals and religion and their different aspects.
July 27, 2020
Interesting book. Hard to follow sometimes because of the translation from Hebrew to English while it sounds good, sometimes doesn't render a clear idea. But fascinating to get a feel for how women view the mikvah and how they feel about it.
February 11, 2021
An excellent testimony about why you should not let people or religion get between you and God.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews