In a time when we all need empowering stories, Israel-based authors Tami Schlossberg Pruwer and Julie Silverstein banded together to write a book that spotlights Jewish women in a unique way.
“Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women” is a compilation of 100 stories about Jewish women in history who pushed boundaries to become successful, in spite of the intersectional discrimination Jewish women face.
With stunning original artwork and digestible stories that start valuable discussions, I’m certain I won’t be the only one who was moved by this book. “Chutzpah Girls” not only empowers women to stand strong against hate, but it’s also a fascinating lesson about Jewish heroines from a range of backgrounds and time periods.
Unpacked sat down with Tami Schlossberg Pruwer and Julie Silverstein to learn more about “Chutzpah Girls” and the importance of highlighting Jewish women.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
What was your inspiration to write ‘Chutzpah Girls’? Where did you get the idea?
Tami: I have two kids, and they’re really the inspirations for this book. I’ve seen so many books that highlight remarkable women throughout the world, and I’ve gotten those as gifts for my daughter. I really wanted to connect with her over the stories of the women in our own heritage.
Julie: I’m also a mom. I have five kids, and like Tami, it was my own children that were the inspiration for this book. When my son had his bar mitzvah, he and my daughter did the exact same things: They both led a service, they both read their Torah portions, they both prepared a D’var Torah. After my son’s bar mitzvah, he received holy books, got tefillin and a tallit — but my daughter mostly got jewelry and handbags.
It was then that I realized: We need to create the most beautiful, diverse, and engaging book ever written about Jewish women.
How did you go about selecting the list of women to include?
Tami: There were some parameters that we set at the outset of this journey. One was that the women’s achievements were led by Jewish values. In the book, you can see the connection between the Jewish values that these women live their lives by, and their contribution to the world. The other parameter was trying to be as diverse as possible — covering all time periods, and as many countries, fields of contribution, and ethnic backgrounds as possible.
Did you experience any challenges in the writing or research process?
Julie: The whole world changed in the middle of our process in creating this book. Things began quite smoothly, but then COVID-19 happened, so we experienced some delays. Then, when we got up and running again, October 7 happened, and obviously that affected us.
We were running back and forth to bomb shelters with our families. We had children who would have otherwise been in school. We were writing and researching this book in the cracks of time that we had. It wasn’t like we went on some paradise writer’s retreat — we needed lots of chutzpah to keep going.
Why do you feel it’s important to highlight women specifically?
Tami: It was really to rectify a bias that exists worldwide: Women’s stories are not told and celebrated in the same way that men’s stories have been throughout history. So we wanted to spotlight some of these women. For example, we wrote about Emmy Noether, the mathematician who was instrumental in developing Einstein’s theory of relativity. We all know Einstein, but not many people have heard of her.
Jewish women have to face double discrimination: as women and as Jews. The fact that these women were able to not just survive, but thrive under double discrimination is even more noteworthy and worth celebrating.
The artwork is one of my favorite parts of the book. Could you discuss your decision to feature Jewish artists from around the world?
Tami: There have been books written about Jewish women, but they’re all long stories with old photographs. Our goal was to create something edgy, bold, and vibrant — something that would speak to young people today, whose attention spans are shorter and for whom everything is aesthetic. There are so many types of art displayed in the book, and it was really about creating a diverse and enriching artistic experience for the reader alongside the stories.
Julie: Especially in this age where we’re drifting towards AI and artistry is often devalued, this was an opportunity to celebrate Jewish women’s art. We’re not robots, and neither are these artists. You feel that emotional connection in the book.
What do you want people to keep in mind while reading, and what is the message you hope people learn from it?
Julie: This is one of the most diverse collections of Jewish stories that has ever been put together. In capturing the breadth and diversity of the Jewish experience, we hope that every Jewish child finds themselves in the book.
As we wrote, we had to really think: what was a pivotal moment in this person’s life that would be able to speak to young Jews today? Maybe it’s around bullying or body image issues, or identity and values. We wanted to make even women that lived hundreds of years ago feel relevant, like they could be your neighbor.
Tami: As a people, we’re going through really dark times at the moment, and there is a risk of just focusing on that and not remembering the heroes in our heritage. This year, we were forced to have the most impossible conversations with our kids, trying to explain the reality to them. Having these stories of heroines with resilience and chutzpah anchors us, and reminds us that we’ve been here before, and we can overcome this.
Julie: There’s so much division within the Jewish world — generations are thinking differently about Israel and this conflict. A book like this can really bring generations together.
“Chutzpah Girls” will be available on Nov. 25 and is now open for preorder.
