Bobbe mysehs and other truths: life stories and stereotypes of two Jewish women
Date
2000
Authors
Geirholm, Sara Marcie
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Abstract
Who is the Jewish woman? There exist very predominate images of Jewish women. The first is found in traditional historical narratives. Here Jewish women are represented as the Other to the male norm, their stories told through the eyes of their male counterparts. The second image is the Jewish Mother stereotype. This representation has evolved throughout the past century to the point where she has become a pop icon. As with the former image, this one is created and formed by others. The question is, do these definitions of Jewish women capture the reality of Jewish women’s lives today, and in the past? In order to answer this I look at the life stories of two Jewish women from the Canadian Prairies. Examining, comparing and contrasting these external representations with the self-representations. reveals the necessity to collect Jewish women’s oral histories in order to fully understand what it means to be a Jewish woman.