Giving Voice

Last week the Jewish Women’s Archives (JWA) launched the Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, an online, updated version of an encyclopedia first published in 1997. In addition to making it more accessible, the goal of the revision was to “ensure that Jewish history is fully inclusive of previously marginalized populations.” The original encyclopedia sought to include Jewish women regularly omitted from history. This version expands the definitions of Jewish and women to Jews of African descent and non-binary and transwomen, among others.    

In celebration of the launch, JWA hosted a panel of editors and contributors who described their mission and process. Rabbi David Ellenson, Chancellor Emeritus of Hebrew Union College, was one of the speakers. In his remarks, Ellenson noted that in medieval times to be human was defined as “Hamidaber, or he who speaks.” In Hebrew, which is a gendered language, “hamidaber” is the masculine form of “one who speaks.” The feminine form is “hamidaberet.”

What Ellenson was describing was the metaphorical and literal silencing of women by not including them in our language. This does not feel unfamiliar to those of us who grew up in the last century. I remember debates with my mother about gendered language. She argued that masculine titles, like fireman, were inclusive. I responded that her four-year-old granddaughter told me that only men could be firefighters.  In the Haggadah we used at Passover, I insisted that we change all the references to “the four sons” to “the four children,” trying to explain how I, their only daughter, felt that the story omitted me and I was not going to allow my daughters to have that same experience. I did not anticipate that 60 years later we would be facing similar issues in creating language inclusive of non-binary and transwomen.  

According to Ellenson, the new encyclopedia helps us add the female experience. It will enable us to hear new voices, both from the individuals featured in the entries and among the new scholars and writers who select and write them.  I can only wonder what voices my granddaughters will be listening to.