Chanah's Voice

Chanah, the Biblical mother of Samuel, was considered by tradition to have invented prayer. Her name is also an acronym for the three commandments given to women: Challah, the taking of an offering from baking dough; Niddah, separation during menstruation followed by immersion; and Hadlakat HaNer, lighting the Sabbath candles.

In this spiritual memoir, Rabbi Ner-David explores the spirituality of domestic life while struggling with the strictures of systematized Jewish law. Combining soul-searching honesty and deep Jewish knowledge, Chanah's Voice is the compelling voice of a new generation of Jewish feminism.

"A beautiful example of how to wrestle with God, Torah, and one's self." -Brad Hirschfield, author of You Don't Have to Be Wrong for Me to Be Right

"New challenges, new insights, and, at times, new theological innovations."-Jay Michaelson, author of Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism

"This profound meditation on spiritual integrity, vulnerability, and holiness is a must-read for anyone who values Judaism. Haviva Ner-David has once again illuminated the way for us, enlivening ancient concepts and imbuing them with deep spiritual meaning."-Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, author, Surprised by God: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Religion

"Haviva Ner-David is one of the most original thinkers on the Jewish scene today. In Chanah's Voice she takes what have sadly become stale rituals and re-envisions them anew. Ner-David's powerful stories of family, tradition, and love will inspire readers to find deeper meaning in their Jewish lives." -Ari L. Goldman, author, Living a Year of Kaddish: A Memoir

"I have always admired Haviva. I loved her first book, yet Chanah's Voice is more remarkable. It is not only a unique contribution to the literature of feminism and Orthodoxy but also a significant work that better fits the categories of the theology and social anthropology than autobiography. Perhaps this is how all theological works should be: written engagingly in the first person, making accessible to the reader the struggle of an individual or community trying to make sense of one's relationship with God."-Blu Greenberg, author, On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition