Tarnor, Norman. A Book of Jewish Women’s Prayers Translations from the Yiddish. Jason Aronson, 1995. 

This book is a collection of Jewish women’s prayers, or tkhines, popularized in the nineteenth century. Women were unable to read or speak Hebrew due to lack of formal religious education and these yiddish prayers were a way for women to still lead fulfilling spiritual lives without speaking the “holy tongue”. These prayers, unlike those recited by men, were on the casual side and addressed God directly, often having a space for women to insert their own names. They demonstrate just how different a relationship women had to religion compared to their male counterparts.

This collection of ninety prayers covers a wide range of topics including: the growing of the first tooth for one’s child, praying for good neighbors, and a prayer for strength. The wide range of topics shows just how intimate a relationship women had with religion. These prayers were designed to be recited at home rather than a synagogue and were sometimes written by women themselves. They were created specifically for women and the lives that they lead. The content of these prayers, while seemingly mundane, show for Jewish women of the nineteenth century religion was in all things and not contained to a building or a time.

The topics that they cover also give us a good idea of what women’s lives looked like and what was important to them. Often having to do with family and community, they show how women’s religious lives were centered around what they would come in contact with daily. They turned their everyday lives into spiritual practice rather than being excluded from religion by men. Where men observed and practiced religion in temple, women found it everywhere.