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Nashim Journal

Nashim was co-founded by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, one of Israel’s leading academic centers for modern Jewish learning, including the Center for Women in Jewish Law and The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, the world’s first university-based research institute devoted to the study of Jews and gender. This journal provides an international, interdisciplinary academic forum — the only one of its kind — for the innovative work being done in Jewish women’s and gender studies. It regularly includes articles on literature, text studies, anthropology, archeology, theology, contemporary thought, sociology, the arts and more.  

Nashim creates communication channels within the Jewish women’s and gender studies community and brings the fruits of that community’s work to a wider audience. Each issue is theme-oriented and produced in consultation with a distinguished feminist scholar. Some of the topics discussed in past issues include Feminist Interpretations of Rabbinic Literature; Gender, Food and Survival; Women, War and Peace in Jewish and Middle East contexts; and Autobiography and Memoir.   

Nashim is published twice a year by Indiana University Press, which was founded in 1950 and is the largest publisher among Big Ten presses and the tenth largest university press in the country.

Latest Issue

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Number 41.

NASHIM Number 41

Fall 5783/2022

Islamic and Jewish Religious Feminisms: Textual Foundations and Practices

Consulting Editor: Ruth Roded

Also in this issue: Lenore Mizrachi Cohen's Worry Flowers

Past Issues

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Winter 5758/1998. Special Theme: Women and the Land of Israel. Susan Sered on cults of three Rachels. Claudia Prestel on images of the other in Zionist films. Margalit Shilo on the New Hebrew Woman. Tal Ilan and Ruth Lamdan on women's petitions for divorce. Shulamit Reinharz on Irma Lindheim. Poetry by Doreen Stock. Plus: Leah Shakdiel and Ezra Kopelowitz on women rabbis. A publication of the Schechter Institute of jewish Studies, Jerusalem, and The International Research Institute on Jewish Women, Brandeis University. Number 1. Cover art is a black gestural line drawing of a woman plowing a field.

NASHIM Number 1

Winter 5758/1998
Women and Israel

Out of Print

Cover of NASHIM, A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring 5759/1999. Number 2. Explorations in literature, history, text studies, anthropology, theology, contemporary thought, sociology, the arts and more. Cover art by Judith Margolis: a painting of a woman looking up at the sky with binoculars where there is a black rectangle with letters of the Hebrew and English alphabet floating around it.

NASHIM Number 2

Spring 5759/1999
Consulting Editor: Susan Kahn

Out of Print

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring/Summer. Number 3. 5760/2000. Special Issue on Motherhood. Cover art: a painting suggestive of a woman's body but constructed of a brain (in place of the uterus) and 2 hearts on either side of her chest.

NASHIM Number 3

Spring/Summer 5760/2000
Motherhood
Consulting Editor: Susan Sered

Out of Print

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues. Double Issue. Fall. Number 4. 5762/2001. Feminist Interpretations of Rabbinic Literature. Cover art is a black and white image of 3 women standing on a river bank wearing long dresses and head coverings. Another woman is in the water holding a baby.

NASHIM, Number 4: Double Issue

Fall 5762/2001
Feminist Interpretations of Rabbinic Literature
Consulting Editor: Renée Levine Melammed

Out of Print

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 5. 5763/2002. Gender, Food and Survival. Cover art: photorealistic painting by Audrey Flack entitled "Queen," depicting a collection of objects including fruit, a rose, makeup, queen of hearts playing card, chess piece, pocket watch and jewelry.

NASHIM Number 5

Spring 5763/2003
Gender, Food and Survival
Consulting Editor: Norma Baumel Joseph

Out of Print

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 6. 5764/2003. Women, War and Peace in Jewish and Middle East Contexts. Cover art is a photo of a woman's hands holding a rock in each hand. One palm is painted red; the other painted gold.

NASHIM, Number 6

Fall 5764/2003
Women, War and Peace

Editor: Alice Shalvi

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 7. 5764/2004. Autobiography and Memoir. Consulting Editor Gershon Bacon. Cover art is a drawing of 12 women seated at two tables, with cake and wine, most of them looking at the viewer.

NASHIM Number 7

Spring 5764/2004
Autobiography and Memoir
Edited by Gershon Bacon

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 8. 5765/2004. Multiculturalism in the World of Jewish Women. Multiculturalism and Migration in Israel. Symposium: Multiculturalism and Identity among Jewish Feminists in the United States, edited by Marla Brettschneider. Als in this issue: "Is Egalitarianism Heresy?" "On Laughter and Re-Membering." "Jewish Women's Book Art." Photo Art is a surrealistic painting of a tree with many symbols in the branches, including a large eye, Felix the cat, animals, birds, people. On the ground next to the tree is a sculpture of a woman who is bound, and lots of pyramids.

NASHIM Number 8

Fall 5765/2004
Special Issue: Multiculturalism and Migration
Consulting Editor: Renée Levine Melammed

Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 9. 5765/2005. Jewish Women's Spirituality. Consulting Editor: Vanessa L. Ochs. Also in this issue: Jewish Feminists in the Academy. Representations of Women in Rabbinic Literature. Gritty Spiritual Expressions in Feminist Art. Cover art is a photo of a pair of red boots with red laces. Written inside each boot are the Hebrew words "Eshet Chayil" (woman of valor).

NASHIM Number 9

Spring 5765/2005
Jewish Women's Spirituality
Consulting Editor: Vanessa L. Ochs

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 10. 5766/2005. Jewish Women's Spirituality (2). Consulting Editor: Vanessa L. Ochs. Also in this issue: Ivanhoe and the portraits of Rebecca Gratz. The future of Jewish feminism and Jewish feminist scholarship. Spiritual androgyny in modern Jewish art. Cover art is a painting of a woman's face with her hand over her eyes.

NASHIM Number 10

Fall 5766/2005
Jewish Women's Spirituality (2)
Consulting Editor: Vanessa L. Ochs

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 11. 5766/2006. YEMENITE JEWISH WOMEN. Consulting Editor: Nitza Druyan. Also in this issue: Intertexuality, Gender and Cultural Critique. Poems by Bracha Serri. Cover art is a montage of young women and girls with head scarves holding young girls in their laps.

NASHIM Number 11

Spring 5766/2006
Yemenite Jewish Women
Consulting Editor: Nitza Druyan

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 12. 5767/2006. WOMEN'S HEALTH, REPRODUCTION, AND BODY POLITICS. Consulting Editor: Larissa Remennick. Also in this issue: Kevod Hatzibbur and women's Torah reading. Choosing Life/Dancing with Death. Handbooks on family purity. Cover image is a surrealistic, dream like image of a baby in fetal position, unpaid down, next to a tree on one side and a staircase going up, a crescent moon and Hebrew letters in the sky.

NASHIM Number 12

Fall 5767/2006
Women's Health, Reproduction and Body Politics
Consulting Editor: Larissa Remennick

NASHIM Number 13

Jewish Women in the Economy
Consulting Editor: Sylvie Fogiel-Bijaoui

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Number 14. Fall. 2007

NASHIM Number 14

Fall 5768/2007
Jewish Women and the Visual Arts
Consulting Editor: Judith Margolis

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues. Spring. Number 15. 2008. WOMEN AND BOOKS. Consulting Editor: Wendy Zierler. Also in this issue: Women, Media and Sport in Israel. Testament of Women. In Memoriam: Chana Safrai.

NASHIM Number 15

Spring 5769/2008
Women and Books
Consulting Editor: Wendy Zierler

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 16. 5769/2008. Women and Books (2). Consulting Editor: Wendy Zierler. Also in this issue: "A woman within Zionism: Myriam Schach," "Israeli women's leadership today," "The illuminated pages of Ellen Frank," "Poems by Dahlia Ravikovitch." Cover Art is by Susan Schwalb, entitled "Bereishit" [Genesis]. Silverpoint, acrylic, gold leaf on parchment. It is a circle containing four bands of waves made of numerous parallel curved gray lines in a rhythmical fashion.

NASHIM Number 16

Fall 5769/2008
Women and Books (2)
Consulting Editor: Wendy Zierler

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 17. 5769/2009. Sexuality in Jewish Contexts. Consulting Editor: Tova Hartman. Also in this issue: "Memoirs of German Jewish women in OPalestine." "Ada Fishman (Maimon) and women's political activity." "Genesis, golems and the artist's pencil." Cover art by Judith Margolis is entitled "Secret Split, Gouache, collage on paper. It depicts a red-orange figure and a blue-green figure standing back to back wearing masks that resemble birds. In the foreground is a branch and an egg. The figures are surrounded by colorful letters dispersed throughout the background.

NASHIM Number 17

Spring 5770/2009
Special Issue: Sexuality in Jewish Contexts
Consulting Editor: Tova Hartman

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 18. 5770/2009. Iranian Jewish Women. Consulting Editor: Farideh Dayanim Goldin. Also in this issue: "Knowledge versus status in women's batei midrash." "Men who refuse to grant a religious divorce." "Israel's women soldiers." Cover art is a painting by Parvin Schmueli Buchnik entitled "The Hands." In the center of the painting is an ornate picture frame with a painting of an open hand. Below it is a stylized image of a figure with a tiny head , face downward, an oversized shirt, hands clasped, but rest of the body is not there. Palm trees and floral elements grow below this figure.

NASHIM Number 18

Fall 5770/2009
Iranian Jewish Women
Consulting Editor: Farideh Dayanim Goldin

Cover of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 19. 5770/2010. Women and Jewish Poetry. Consulting Editor: Kathryn Hellerstein. New writing on poets Linda Pastan, Kim Chernin, Techiyah Bat-Oren, Ruhama Weiss, Ephraim Lisitzky, Yokheved Bat-Miriam, Rivka Miriam, Zelda, Rachel Bluvstein, Anna Margolin, Esther Segal, Ida Maza, Else Lasker-Schuler, Muriel Rukeyser, Dahlia Ravikovitch, Assi farber and Sara Friedland ben Arza. Cover art is an Oil and tempera on linen painting by Hanna Kay entitled "Shelter 5." It looks like an interwoven network of roots in a circular shape, painted in earth tones.

NASHIM Number 19

Spring 5770/2010
Women and Jewish Poetry
Consulting Editor: Kathryn Hellerstein

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 20. 5771/2010. Jewish Women and Philanthropy. Consulting Editor: Brenda E. Brasher. Also in this issue: "Miriam Kainy: survivor artist on the establishment stage." "Domestic violence and the Jewish community." Cover art is a mixed media piece consisting of a silver glove on a background of dark burgundy with some floral patterning and dark square in the center.

NASHIM Number 20

Fall 5771/2010
Jewish Women and Philanthropy
Consulting Editor: Brenda E. Brasher

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 21. 5771/2011. Women in the Responsa Literature. Consulting Editor: David Golinkin. Also in this issue: Streams toward the future: Sexuality in Rav Kook's thought. A Torah scroll scribed by women. Cover photo of a woman's hands scribing a Torah.

NASHIM Number 21

Spring 5771/2010
Women in the Responsa Literature
Consulting Editor: David Golinkin

Cover of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues Number 22 Pink cover with photo of a white frilly baby girl's dress with embroidered text that says: "You're not having children was the biggest disappointment of our life." Text on cover: Gender and Jewish Identity. Consulting Editors: Elisheva Baumgarten and Sylvia Barack Fishman. Also in this issue: Finding New Names for Old Mamas; The Sarah Paintings of Richard McBee. cover art by Miriam Schaer shows a frilly baby's dress with embroidered words that say: "Your not having children is the biggest disappointment of our life."

NASHIM Number 22

Fall 5772/2011
Gender and Jewish Identity
Consulting Editors: Elisheva Baumgarten and Sylvia Barack Fishman

NASHIM Number 23

Spring 5772/2012
The Jewish Woman and Her Body
Consulting Editor: Rachel S. Harris

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues. Spring, Number 24, 5773/2013. Feminist receptions of Biblical Women. Consulting Editor: Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg. Also in this issue: The First Lady of Israeli Journalism. Photo of a wrinkled old piece of parchment paper with typewritten text that is partially worn away: Cosbi. I'm from Midan, the daughter of Zatak and married to Zimri. Thelkemius wife to Sequeskim. ? I am the daughter in law of Eli and the mother of Jochabed. I died the day Goliath stole the Holy Ark. Rebekah. Laban is my brother. I married Isaac when I was 14. I wore a nose ring with a precious stone and am known to be pious. Hadassah. Esther's real name. Ablai. My father is Sheshan, a descendent of Tamar and Judah. ? I married Jeroboam and am Queen of the northern kingdom of Israel."

NASHIM Number 24

Spring 5773/2013
Feminist Receptions of Biblical Women
Consulting Editor: Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg

Cover of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall, Number 25, 5774/2013. Women, Jews, Ventians. Consulting Editors: Gretchen Starr-Lebeau and Ariella Lang. Also in this issue: Amalia Kahana-Carmon, Intertextuality and Cross-Gender Identification. Lea Goldberg's "The Remains of Life." Four Documentaries by Israeli Women. The cover illustration shows a detail from "Danger Lurks in Forgetting: Katrina," by artist Janet Braun-Reinitz, one of nine large-scale painted panels showing flight and destruction from natural and manmade disasters and wartime tragedies. This one depicts a house in flood waters with 2 people on the roof hanging on while other people are immersed in the water.

NASHIM Number 25

Fall 5774/2013
Women, Jews, Venetians
Consulting Editors: Gretchen Starr-Lebeau and Ariella Lang

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 26. 5774/2014. In this issue: Jewish women in sport and dance. Modesty for Heaven's sake. Dressing and undressing the High Priest. Life stories of women rabbis. Salome -- woman of valor. Cover illustration shows a photo of a woman (Salome) with the head of John the Baptist on a butcher block table next to a cutting board with onions, an apple, a glass of red wine and a puddle of wine? or blood? on the table. Her hand rests on a napkin on his head. She is looking at the viewer.

NASHIM Number 26

Spring 5774/2014

Cover of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 27. 5775/2014. "Gender and the Holocaust: New Research." Consulting Editor: Dalia Ofer. Also in this issue: Women and the Transformation of Jewish Studies (The Paula Hyman Oral History Project). Cover Illustration is artwork by Hannelore Baron, Untitled (1983). Paper, cloth, ink. Drawing in shades of browns. Contains some figurative references.

NASHIM Number 27

Winter 5775/2014
Gender and the Holocaust: New Research
Consulting Editor: Dalia Ofer

Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 28. 5775/2015. "Feminist Interpretations of the Talmud: A Collection of Feminist Talmud Commentaries. Honoring Judith Hauptman on her Seventieth Birthday." cover photo is a mixed media assemblage by Jo Milgrom entitled "Cherubim." There are 2 pairs of heads made of tallits, radiation treatment masks and wood. The upper pair look at each other. The lower pair look upwards.

NASHIM Number 28

Spring 5775/2015
Feminist Interpretations of the Talmud: A Collection of Feminist Talmud Commentaries
Honoring Judith Hauptman on her Seventieth Birthday
Consulting Editors: Charlotte E. Fonrobert, Jane L. Kanarek and Marjorie Lehman

Cover of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 29. 5776/2015. Women's Torah Study. Consulting Editor: David Golinkin. Also in this issue: "The transitioning of Jewish biomedical law." "A woman researching male ultra-Orthodox victims of sexual abuse." cover image is artwork by Myriam Jawerbaum entitled "Parashat Ki Tisa (Exodus 32-34)," hand-made paper and oil paints on parchment. Depicts a red Hebrew letter "aleph" through a crevice behind the broken tablets of the 10 Commandments after Moses threw them to the ground.

NASHIM Number 29

Fall 5776/2015
Women's Torah Study
Consulting Editor: David Golinkin

Cover of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & gender Issues. Spring-Fall. Number 30. 5777/2016. In this issue: "Ruth, Naomi and women's time." "Gendered portrayals of Jewish converts to Christianity." "Charlotte Montefiore's secret." "Clara Sereni and Ada Sereni." "Humiliation in the mikveh." "Light, life, art and text." Cover photo is fabric art by Chana Cromer entitled "Illumination" made of dyes, assorted silk fabrics and stitching. There is an orange rectangle in the center of concentric rectangles of fabric and stitching.

NASHIM Number 30

Spring-Fall 5776/2016

Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring-Fall. Number 31. 5777-78/2017. In this issue: New Historical and Socio-legal Perspectives on Jewish Divorce. Consulting Editor: Lisa Fishbayn Joffe. Cover artwork is a photogravure and aquatint by Ida Applebroog entitled "Ephemora," a black linear image of a couple embracing. The man is holding the woman's hand behind her back, grasping her at the wrist.

NASHIM Number 31

Spring-Fall 5771/2017
New Historical and Socio-Legal Perspectives on Jewish Divorce
Consulting Editor: Lisa Fishbayn Joffe

Cover of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 32. 5778/2018. Festschrift for Shulamit Reinharz. Part 1. Consulting Editor: Sylvia Barack Fishman. Cover artwork is a mixed media collage and acrylic paint on re-purposed candy box by Judith Margolis entitled "Momma's Game of Life." Collage includes images of a Jewish star, Hebrew letters, Linus from Peanuts with a bubble that says "sigh," musical notes, various words interspersed throughout including: "work, eternity, goddess, chocolate, lose, dream, mama lion, party kiss, cry, boy, sleep, cook, bing win, play, car, the letter "z".

NASHIM Number 32

Spring 5778/2018

Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 33. 5779/2018. Festschrift for Shulamit Reinharz Part 2. Consulting Editor: Sylvia Barack Fishman. Cover art is an ink drawing of a queen on a throne holding the Torah. Her gown is covered with Hebrew letters. She has a long braid and crown on her head. the back of her throne has a Jewish Star. There are vines growing behind her throne and in the distance is a landscape with trees and a black sky.

NASHIM Number 33

Fall 5778/2018

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 34. 5779/2019. FESTSCHRIFT FOR SHULAMIT REINHARZ. PART 3: WOMEN IN THE PROFESSIONS. Consulting Editor: Sylvia Barack Fishman. Cover Image is a film strip showing 3 frames of the same image of a teacher standing in front of a blackboard with the alphabet above the chalkboard in Hebrew, and Hebrew writing in chalk on the blackboard.

NASHIM Number 34

Spring 5779/2019

Festschrift for Shulamit Reinharz
Part 3: Women in the Professions
Consulting Editor: Sylvia Barack Fishman

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Fall. Number 35.

Nashim Number 35

Fall 5780/2019

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Spring. Number 36.

Nashim Number 36

Spring 5781/2020

JEWISH WOMEN MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS IN EUROPE – BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE HOLOCAUST

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Number 37.

NASHIM Number 37

Fall 5781/2020

JEWISH FEMINIST ETHNOGRAPHIES

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Number 38.

NASHIM Number 38

Spring 5781/2021

In this issue: ◊ spiritual leadership in the Waraw Ghetto ◊ Jewish women spiritualists ◊ cross-dressing in Jewish law ◊ midrash, marriage and #MeToo ◊ Hadassah women build a modern medical center ◊ feminist midrash in poetry and art

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Number 39.

NASHIM Number 39

Fall 5782/2021

Writing Our Way Home: Jewish Women's Post-Holocaust Diasporic Writing in Latin America, The Balkans and the Jewish World

Part I: Surviving Stories

Consulting Editors: Marjorie Agosín, Jelena Filipovic, and Oana Hergenröther

Cover of NASHIM: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues. Number 40.

NASHIM Number 40

Spring 5782/2022

Writing Our Way Home: Jewish Women's Post-Holocaust Diasporic Writing in Latin America, The Balkans and the Jewish World

Part II: Imagined Landscapes: Jewish Women Writers between Worlds

Consulting Editors: Marjorie Agosín, Jelena Filipovic, and Oana Hergenröther