The narratives may center around the bat mitzvah itself, but in the process we learn about Jewish life in widely different Jewish communities around the world, about what it means to become an adult woman, and most important, about the power of a ritual that far too many American Jewish families understand as simply an opportunity to have a party. The photos scattered throughout are endearing.
(USCJ Bookshelf) [Vinick and Reinharz] capture the amazing tales of Jewish girls on six different continents who celebrate the Jewish ritual of becoming a woman. Illustrated with over 100 black and white family photographs, readers will enjoy the accompanying narratives of each woman's unique journey and celebration into womanhood.
(The Jewish Journal) Today I Am a Woman is filled with lyrical accounts of being a bat mitzvah in such exotic places as Cochabamba, Bolivia, and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. . . . All the vignettes are accompanied by a well-researched history of the Jewish community in the area.
(Jewish Book Council) [Today I Am a Woman] is a worthy and inspiring read, regardless of which stream of Judaism one adheres to.
(The Jewish Standard) 'Today I Am A Woman' would not only be a lovely gift for a bat mitzvah girl or a useful purchase for anyone preparing for a bat mitzvah celebration in the family; it will also be a welcome addition to the libraries of readers seeking to understand variations in bat mitzvah practices among Jewish communities
(Nashim: Jrnl Jewish Wmns Std & Gender Is)
