Brandeis Magazine

Lori Lefkovitz, P’09, director of Jewish studies at Northeastern University, has written “In Scripture: The First Stories of Jewish Sexual Identities.” In the book, she uses gender theory to critique Bible stories — from Genesis to the Book of Ruth. “We have lots of stories of heroines, Esther, Judith, Yael, Tamar, women who access political power through acts of seduction, which I think resonated through many generations of the stereotypes of the Jewish American Princess,” Lefkovitz says. “It is this characterization of Jewish women as having ulterior motives.” Robert Dobrusin is a member of the board of Rabbis for Human Rights, an organization of rabbis from all streams of Judaism that acts on the Jewish imperative to respect and protect the human rights of all people. He has served as rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor, Mich., since 1988. He is involved in Jewish education and interfaith dialogue and has actively supported Rabbis for Human Rights for more than 10 years.