A Jewish Feminine Mystique?: Jewish Women in Postwar America (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780813547923)

In The Feminine Mystique, Jewish-raised Betty Friedan struck out against a postwar American culture that pressured women to play the role of subservient housewives. However, Friedan never acknowledged that many American women refused to retreat from public life during these years. Now, A Jewish Feminine Mystique? examines how Jewish women sought opportunities and created images that defied the stereotypes and prescriptive ideology of the "feminine mystique."

As workers with or without pay, social justice activists, community builders, entertainers, and businesswomen, most Jewish women championed responsibilities outside their homes. Jewishness played a role in shaping their choices, shattering Friedan's assumptions about how middle-class women lived in the postwar years. Focusing on ordinary Jewish women as well as prominent figures such as Judy Holliday, Jennie Grossinger, and Herman Wouk's fictional Marjorie Morningstar, leading scholars explore the wide canvas upon which American Jewish women made their mark after the Second World War.

Author: Hasia Diner
ISBN-10: 081354792X
ISBN-13: 9780813547923
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/10/2010
Pages: 284
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.92lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.64d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 07/01/2011