Abstract

The ultra-Orthodox sector of Jewish culture possesses its own body of creative English writing, a prose genre which is impelled and shaped by women. Contemporary scholars and writers have brought ultra-Orthodox Jewish women to our attention. However, critical writing about this community has consistently misrepresented or misanalyzed it. This study attempts to correct the outsider's bias prevalent in academic research by letting the insiders' voices--that is, the writings of ultra-Orthodox Jewish women--speak for themselves. Through the women's heretofore little known literature, we can get an unmediated view of this secluded yet vibrant writing community, a glimpse into how traditional women in a postmodern world negotiate feminist consciousness. Writers are analyzed in the specific fields of personal narrative, anthology, Holocaust testimonial, self-help literature, and fiction. A bibliography and index are included.