Women In The Bible Series

At Jewish Federation Office

DANBURY — Rabbi Judy Frankle will host a series of programs at The Jewish Federation in which she will discuss a range of women who appear in the Hebrew Bible, and are fascinating and resourceful women. She will begin with Rebecca on July 11.

As with all the women she has chosen to speak about, Rebecca is the antithesis of a pawn in a world of powerful men. She contrives, and succeeds in engineering events so that the younger rather than the elder of her twins succeeds his father. How she and her favored son, Jacob, manage to change the order of succession has fascinated Biblical commentators down through the ages. What will be explored is how we view her actions as seen through our own lens of contemporary values.

The following sessions focus on Ruth in the second discussion on July 18, and then Esther on July 25. The series will conclude with Deborah and Judith, two of the women warriors.

Rabbi Frankle will give background information as an introduction to discussions about these women. She hopes the discussion starts out with discussing how these women are viewed in light of the major strides that women have taken to empower themselves in modern life.

No preparation is necessary to take part in the discussion series. Anyone interested may attend any or all of these free classes. Each lecture will begin at 7:30 pm at the Jewish Federation office, 105 Newtown Road, Danbury. For registration and information call the Federation office at 792-6353.

Rabbi Judy Frankle is new to the community and presently does not lead any congregation. She is a Reform Rabbi; her older daughter is Reform, too, but her younger daughter is a Conservative Rabbi. Theirs is the first mother-daughter Rabbi combination in the history of Judaism. After more than 30 years in Larchmont, Judy and her husband Lester moved to Ridgefield last May. They are presently members of Temple Shearith Israel in Ridgefield.