ed the lessons she had been taught.
As she reviewed biblical literature,
she envisioned real women. They
menstruated, married, gave birth to
children, endured menopause and,
with age, acquired wisdom. Instead of
weakness, she found their nobilim
Her book portrays such women as
passionate, proactive women. At the
risk of disrobing their dignity, she
humanizes her biblical figures, pre-
senting them in modern idiom:
"At first, Orpah and Ruth refused
to leave Naomi. Then she pushed
them to 'get real. — She quotes Naomi:
I want to go on with my life and
you, ladies, need to go on with yours.
No strings. No attachments. None of
that yucky I'll-do-for-vou-vou-do-for-
me-stuff"
Surely no . previous version of the
Bible refers to Moses as "tongue-
tied" or has Samuel "crawling into
bed for fear of evil spirits lurking in
the dark."
Labowitz's book also calls for ne\\
and healthier attitudes roward sex.
She advocates a hysterectomy cele-
bration for women grieving for lost
femininity. She reminds lonely wid-
ows that sexual gratification does
not require a partner. She urges
older women to welcome the status
of "crone," exuding "vivacious
elderhood."
Labowitz's own life has been a spiri-
tual quest. Raised in an Orthodox
Jewish home and descended from a
long line of rabbis, she combined Jew-
ish studies with explorations of Bud-
dhism and other Eastern religions. For
a time, she lived as an artist and self-
described "free spirit."
After marrying Rabbi Philip
Labowitz, she raised two sons and
lived as a proper rebbetzin. A trip to
India brought new awakenings and
knowledge, inspiring her first book,

-

Miraculous Living.
Ordained as a rabbi in 1987, she
and her husband now share rabbinic
responsibilities at Temple Adath Or, a
Jewish Renewal congregation located
in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They are
known for their leadership of the
Jewish Renewal movement, founded
40 years ago by Rabbi Schacter-
Shalomi.
Labovitz compares Jewish Renewal
To Reconstructionist Judaism. "We
believe in the sacredness of all exis-
tence, in Torah knowledge and kabbal-
istic teaching," she explains. "Jewish
Renewal is very spiritual. In many
ways it has been a catalyst for Ortho-
dox Judaism."

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Detroit Jewish News

12/18
1998

89