RBG’s Brave and Brilliant Women: 33 Jewish Women to Inspire Everyone, by Nadine Epstein

Illustrated by Bee Johnson

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Women’s Heritage Month, recognized each October, is an important time to pay tribute to the monumental contributions made by women in history, despite barriers of gender, race, class and nationality that persist even today.

RBG’s Brave and Brilliant Women: 33 Jewish Women to Inspire Everyone, is a beautifully-illustrated celebration of Jewish women from around the globe who changed the course of history. It brings together 33 short biographies of inspiring figures who “were guided or shaped by Jewish beliefs or values” and “transcended what was expected, allowed or tolerated for a woman of their time.”

The book itself is named in honour of one American Jewish trailblazer, the late American Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG), who collaborated on it with renowned author Nadine Epstein, Editor of the Moment magazine. The text was Ginsburg’s passion project in the last year of her life, born from conversations between the two women about the connection between social justice and Jewish traditions. Justice Ginsburg’s introduction is short but eloquent. She discusses two of her personal heroines, Emma Lazarus and Henrietta Szold, and she inspires readers to seek out role models of their own.

The biographies run chronologically, moving from Biblical times all the way up to the late 20th century. A brief paragraph introduces each section, putting the period, women’s lives, and the Jewish experience into historical context. Each profile is accompanied by one of Bee Johnson’s stylized portraits in rich jewel tones that immediately draws the reader in. The stories themselves are equally compelling; all of the women featured overcame tremendous odds to become successful leaders, scientists, businesswomen and champions of the less fortunate.

The book also highlights the diversity of Jewish identities, covering women of Ashkenzi, Sephardi, and Middle Eastern descent. The final pages are a call to action, because while Jewish women have come a long way in the fight for justice and equality, there is still much work to be done. Although rooted in the experiences of Jewish women, the underlying message has universal resonance: We all have the power to be upstanders for positive social change. As Justice Ginsburg writes in her introduction, “The world needs more brave and inspirational people. You can be one of them.”

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