Dinah Rising

Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, has long been a source of speculation, angst, misplaced blame, and a defiant reminder of the ills of the patriarchy. I've just concluded my yearly reading of  The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, along with the story of Jacob and family as told in the Bible. The two stories are almost totally different in perspective, and perhaps we should expect nothing else from,as a friend of mine used to say,

"The family that puts the "fun" in dysfunctional!" 

According to the book, The Red Tent, (which cites many different references), Dinah was a midwife's assistant, and as such, had every reason to "go out" to see the daughters of the land. However, some interpreters (usually male) of the Bible blamed Dinah for the rape she endured when she "went out." Perhaps that is why so many Jewish daughters are named "Dinah": a rebuke of this point of view. Remember Dinah!

To be notified when I finish the Dinah kippah headress I'm currently working on, please visit www.renaissancewomankippot.org