Articles written by Gail Rubin

Gail Rubin|Oct 10, 2014

As Simchat Torah approaches, Genesis begins anew, “Retelling Genesis,” the new book by Barry Louis Polisar, gives a timely fresh perspective on 13 stories in the Torah’s first book. Each story gives a voice to many secondary characters whose perspectives are overlooked in the original Bible stories. Polisar offers the thoughts and feelings of many female characters: Eve, Noah’s wife, Lot’s daughters, Hagar, Zilpah and Bilhah (Jacob’s handmaidens), and Dinah. He also explores what the silent Isaac thought about his near-sacrifice, what Cain t...