She’s a Mensch! Ten Amazing Jewish Women

Dublin introduces 10 Jewish women whose accomplishments have often gone unnoticed in the greater world. They include Agnes Keleti, who survived the Holocaust to compete as a gymnast in the 1956 Olympics; Ruth First, whose anti-apartheid efforts landed her in a South African prison; Marion Wiesel, who was active in the US Civil Rights movement of the 1960s; Rita Arditti, an academic scientist who worked for women’s rights and social justice; Marika Gidali, another Holocaust survivor who brought ballet to the general population in her adopted country Brazil; Judy Feld Carr, who helped to rescue over 3,000 Jews from Syria; Rosalie Silberman Abella, Canada’s first female Jewish judge and Supreme Court Justice; Pauline Bebe, France’s first female rabbi; Yavilah McCoy, who works to help Jews of color to feel accepted in the Jewish community; and Jessica Posner Odede, who, through SHOFCO (Shining Hope for Communities), helps to fund schools and improve living conditions in Kiberia, a part of Nairobi, Kenya.

Each profile describes childhood experiences (several survived the Holocaust), explains how these women saw unfairness in the world, and summarizes their adult accomplishments. The selections are varied, including athletes, academics, artists, and social justice warriors, and, while their countries of origin are mostly European, as adults these women reside around the world. The writing is clear and concise, and small blue and grey illustrations grace the chapter heads. Appended with glossary, sources, acknowledgments, and endnotes, She’s a Mensch! should be a first pick for Judaica collections, and it will make a worthwhile addition to larger public and school collections.