JBooks
A Challah in the Oven
By ROBYN SCHAFER
EXPECTING MIRACLES
Finding Meaning and Spirituality in Pregnancy
Through Judaism
By Chana
Weisberg
352 pages. Urim Publications. $27.95.
When I first found out I was
pregnant, I remember sneaking to the back of my local Jewish bookstore and
scanning the “Women and Lifecycles” section with a contented grin. My
husband and I had decided to wait until the end of our first trimester to
share the wonderful news with our family and friends, but I was hungry for
any advice and Jewish words of wisdom that I could find.
With its
simple white cover, Expecting Miracles didn’t stand out on the
crowded bookshelf next to titles... designed to guide women through this special time in their
lives. But the book’s subtitle, “Finding
Meaning and Spirituality in Pregnancy” truly distinguishes it from all the
rest. Unlike the other selections, Expecting Miracles doesn’t offer women practical advice on pregnancy and childbirth; instead,
it helps women place their individual
experiences of pregnancy within a spiritual context.
This book
offers intimate interviews with mothers, midwives, and prominent female
educators along with short, inspirational readings and spiritual insights.
Author Chana Weisberg hopes that Expecting Miracles will guide
women towards a more meaningful “spiritual and emotional journey… while
preparing to bring a new soul into the world.” Known in Jerusalem as the
“Jewish Pregnancy Lady,” Weisberg is a “professional Jewish mother”
who strongly felt the hand of God in her own pregnancy and childbirth. Through this book and her website, Weisberg
strives to help others see God’s presence in
their own lives during this truly miraculous time.
Unlike secular pregnancy books which inform women what to expect
during each month of their pregnancy, the nine
chapters of this book are meant to help women grow–personally and spiritually–along
with their babies. Each chapter highlights pregnancy as a special time
to prepare emotionally for birth and motherhood, overcome personal challenges,
notice miracles, have faith, and invest in one’s self. Weisberg hopes
that by reading this book, women will make these nine months a time
for their own rebirth, drawing closer to God and the Jewish community....
The
intimate conversations in this work are meant to help women overcome their
physical and emotional fears of pregnancy and gain an appreciation for
motherhood. With short introductions and verbatim interviews, Weisberg
relates 24 stories, including a mother living in Meah Shearim with her 15
children whose doctor encourages her to get an abortion, a 24-year-old
whose pregnancy uncovers repressed memories of sexual abuse, a Lubavitch
missionary determined to help women connect with their “holy task” of
raising large families, and a newly religious woman who is pregnant for
the first time at the age of 49.
Underlying every interview is the
premise, articulated in this book by modern Torah commentator Aviva
Zornberg, that “the Torah teaches us that if we turn to God and look deep
inside of ourselves… [we can] transform what has happened into an
opportunity for personal growth and spiritual awakening during pregnancy
and in our future lives as mothers.”
By sharing their own physical and spiritual struggles, the women of
this book offer a sense of belonging to those pregnant Jewish women
who may feel lost during this challenging time. The wisdom and insights
they share can help women gain appreciation for pregnancy as a beautiful
blessing and gain strength in seeing motherhood as a fulfillment of
God’s will...
