After watching the film about the lives of Ultra Orthodox Jewish woman I was very intrigued. Coming from a more modern perspective I wondered what drew these woman to these lifestyles and why they continue to live these very difficult and challenging lives. I went into the library catalog and searched for Woman in Orthodox Judaism. And found this novel “Tradition in a Rootless World” that discusses why Orthodox Judaism is very appealing to many woman.

After skimming through this book and reading some sections I think this book is perfect for finding out more about the role of women in the Orthodox Judaism. The paragraph on the back of the book had a sentence that seems to be exactly what I am looking for and will lead me to the answers for some of the questions I have about woman in Orthodox Judaism. The sentence read “Recently, however, some women have turned away from the complex choices presented by modern life and have chosen instead a Jewish orthodox tradition that sets strict and rigid guidelines for women to follow.” The book is split up into 8 chapters. These include chapters discussing a day in the life of these orthodox women, the relationship to Modernity, Order, Belonging, Identity, and how women become wives and mothers in orthodox Judaism. I believe that if i choose to focus my essay on the role of Woman in Orthodox Judaism that this book will be an amazing resource.

In the same Isle as this book  I found many other book having to do with gender in Judaism. I found another interesting book entitled “Mitzvah Girls” which examined the perspective of young girls coming of age in Orthodox Judaism, specifically in Brooklyn, NY. I believe that I found a considerable number of books that will be useful when writing this paper.

Davidman, L. Tradition in a Rootless World. California: University of California Press, 1991. Print.