Spirituality

In Job's
Footsteps

Scholar Nehama Aschkenasy discusses the Judaic

literary tradition of women arguing with God.

•

SHARON LUCKERMAN

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Back Street Weak

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n the early 1980s, Nehama
Aschkenasy revisited her beloved
Judaic heritage by studying the
literary traditions in the Bible, the
Midrash and the mystical writings. She
was preparing herself to teach women's
studies and comparative literature at the
University of Connecticut-Stamford,
then decided to go a step further.

Moshe, "In the Footsteps of Job:
Women Arguing With God in Judaic
Literary Tradition." The following
day, she lectured at WSU about
women's language in the Bible. Co-
sponsors of both lectures were Cohn-
Haddow Center for Judaic Studies,
B'nai Moshe, Eilu v'Eilu, Wayne State
University Press and the WSU
Women's Studies program.
At B'nai Moshe, Aschkenasy told an
audience of about 60 that she follows

ti ers • Intrigue

Nousreaute

Sun Messengers

"Jewish history
positioned the
Jewish people [and
especially Jewish
women] into the
role of Job."

Teen Angels

Nehama Aschkenasy

Jerry Ross-Michael Brock

Cali for a free
vita` _ o consultation

Call (248) 398-9711

5/17
2002

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Her deepening interest resulted in
the acclaimed 1986 book Eve's Journey,
which brought her and fellow writers
Philip Roth and Cynthia Ozick the
1988 Present Tense Magazine Literary
Award. Republished by Wayne State
University Press in 1994, press director
Arthur Evans calls the Aschkenasy
book, "a landmark study of sexual poli-
tics in the Judaic tradition."
The Israeli-born Aschkenasy is also
founding director of Judaic Middle
Eastern Studies at the University of
Connecticut and a political commenta-
tor on Connecticut television.
On May 1, Aschkenasy presented
the Pearl A. and George M. Zeltzer
Annual Lecture on Women and
Judaism at Congregation B'nai

several female prototypes in ancient bib-
lical literature.
While some scholars have focused
on woman as a temptress or seduc-
tress in the Judaic literary tradition,
Aschkenasy has uncovered other roles.
In her talk, she cast certain biblical
women as Jobean figures (with traits
associated with Job). Her examples
included Naomi from the Book of
Ruth and Beruriah, a creator of the
Mishnah (Oral Law).
"Job is unusual," Aschkenasy said.
"He's not an Israelite. His story is
more a parable, a proverb of human
experience."
Though faithful to God, Job loses his
children and wealth. He questions God:
Why is there no justice in the world?

God never really explains why we
suffer, Aschkenasy said. He confronts
Job with a series of questions, which
point out that people are limited and
can't understand God's ways.
Likewise, Naomi speaks in a
Jobean manner after losing her hus-
band and two sons. She returns to
Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law
Ruth and suffers deeply. -
"Naomi sees her predicament as a
test from God," Aschkenasy said. "She
creates a heavenly court and has an
ongoing dialogue with God."
As Job did, Naomi calls Him a cruel
God, the scholar said. But God is also
interested in Naomi — she's not swept
away by disaster. God chooses to
redeem the woman, and her grandchild
becomes an ancestor of King David.
Despite their unpleasant questions
for God about the universe,
Aschkenasy said the Jobean figures
never lose their ability to communi-
cate with God, unlike modern exis-
tentialists. "Even when Jobean figures
hit rock bottom, they still ask God
those questions," she said.
Aschkenasy added that Jewish history
also positioned the Jewish people in the
role of Job. "Job's story shuttles between
hope and disaster, faith and disbelief,
loss and redemption. The Holocaust is a
Jobean story," she said.
Eve's Journey is dedicated to
Aschkenasy's father, who was the main
influence on her. "He was a teacher and
a rabbinic judge," she said. "He studied
the Talmud with me."
In the Talmud, Aschkenasy discov-
ered another woman cast in the Jobean
role. Beruriah, whose father was one of
the 10 martyrs, taught her husband
Rabbi Meir how to grieve. "She, like
Job, can be very angry with God. But in
her discussion of the loss of her two
sons, she reveals herself as a rare woman
scholar," Aschkenasy said.
She followed the Job motif to
modern literature, concluding her lec-
ture with a poem by Israeli Raya
Harnik. The poet reckons with God
in a Jobean manner, questioning His
justice when her son is "sacrificed" in
the 1982 Israeli war with Lebanon.
"I knew nothing about
[Aschkenasy's] topic — her point of
view of women in. the Bible — and it's
marvelous, said Jane Hoehner of
Berkley. "It was fascinating how she ties
these ideas to modern day, which is
something I could relate to."
Said David Loeffler of Oak Park:
"Aschkenasy brings a real breadth of
knowledge and an interesting perspec-
tive of the story of Job — up through
modern experiences." ❑

