The Encyclopedia is an electronic reference tool for general readers, scholars and students. The entries should therefore be coherent to someone without knowledge of a given subject, yet enlightening to a specialist. The ultimate aim of the encyclopedia is to promote the reconceptualization of the study of Judaism, by acknowledging and incorporating the roles played by women. It is particularly intended to advance critical analysis of gender inequalities within Jewish religion, history, society and culture. The entries are organized chronologically and thematically, dealing with Jewish women in biblical, post-biblical, medieval, and modern times. Submissions are accepted for individual women and for organizations and collective entities, such as Hadasah.

Submissions for entries should be 500-2000 words. All entries should focus on the contribution of the individual/collective to the status of Jewish women and the Jewish people. Contribution to society in general should also be considered. (The editors may consider including Jewish women whose work is not restricted to Jewish issues).

Contributors are encouraged to include anecdotes, recollections and significant events from the subject's life to enrich and enliven the entries. Quotations from primary sources are welcomed. Secondary sources, in most cases, should be left to the bibliography.

Entries should follow a chronological order.


Individual Entries

a) Last name, First name (full birth date, place of birth - full death date, place of death, if known), main profession or occupation or reason for fame. For example:


Abraham, Sara (Born 21 January 1906 in New York, USA; died 28 July 2000 Los Angeles, USA). Feminist activist and political leader. Founder of Jewish Women Against Guns.

b) Short overview of the accomplishments of the subject and her significance to Jewish life.

c) Brief coverage of subject's early years, environment and education.

d) Outline of life and career. The subject's specific activities and contribution to Jewish life should be considered here. This part of the entry should include anecdotes and interesting episodes from subject's life.

e) Outstanding achievements, such as honors, awards or political titles should be listed here as a final assessment of the individual's life.

f) Selected bibliography: Up to 10 primary sources and secondary sources, if available. Each entry should be annotated, for example:


The most comprehensive biographical account on Abraham's life is her My Life: An Autobiography (1990). Her extensive correspondence Along the Way (1975), is an important source. See also Barbara Smith, Sara Abraham: A Fury Tale (1980) and Alex Poo, A Wonder Woman (1985), on her political activism; Linda Shoe, "Jewish Feminism", Canadian Review of Women's Studies (10) 1978: 7-21, on her contribution to gender-related issues in Judaism.

g) Contributor's byline.

Collective Entities

Collective entities describe organizations and groups who devote their resources to the promotion of Jewish women and gender-related issues.

a) Name of organization/group. Date and place of founding, and dissolution, if relevant. The main function of the organization.

b) Short historical background and mission statement of the organization.

c) Activities, roles, achievements - concentrating on contribution to Jewish life/Jewish women.

d) Major leaders and personalities of the organization. For each individual mentioned, please include last name, first name, title/function and a brief description of the individual.

e) Selected bibliography: See section 1f.

f) Contributor's byline.

Sample Entries

Individual Entry: Netiva Ben-Yehuda
Collective: CHEN

General Notes

The bibliography should not include standard reference works, such as the American National Biography or Who's Who in USA.

When citing books in the bibliographical section, only author's name, title, and date of publication are needed. When citing articles, volume and page numbers should be included.

Citations within text:
Follow the style format in the section entitled "Selected bibliography" (see 1f). If possible, please attach to your submission photocopies of quotations from published sources. We urge you to adhere to copyright regulations when quoting from your own previously published work on the same subject. When in doubt, please consult with us.

Selected references for nondiscriminatory language:

Guidelines for Nonsexist Use of Language in National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Publications (Revised 1985). [Available from NCTE, 1111 Kenyon Rd., Urbana, Illinois 61801.]
• Maggio, Rosalie. The Bias-free Word finder: A Dictionary of Nondiscriminatory Language. Boston: Beacon, 1992.
• ____________. The Dictionary of Bias-free Usage. Phoenix: Oryx, 1991.
• ____________. The Nonsexist Word Finder: A Dictionary of Gender-free Usage. 2nd ed. New York: Oryx, 1987.
• Miller, Casey and Kate Swift. The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.
• Penfield, Joyce, ed. Women and Language in Transition. Albany, N.Y: State University of New York Press, 1987.
• Schwartz, Marilyn. Guidelines for Bias-free Writing. Bloomington, IN: Indiana UP, 1995.
• Statement on Bias-Free Materials. New York: Association of American Publishers. [Available from APP, One Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.]

What to submit

a) One hard copy of your entry, double spaced in a legible font (preferably a 12-point).
b) You may submit your entry as an attached file to an e-mail message. Please use Microsoft Word 7 for Windows 95 or plain text (Note Pad). Send submissions to:



Dina Ripsman Eylon, Editor
Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary Journal
246-1054 Centre St.
Thornhill, Ontario L4J 8E5
Canada

e-mail: dina.eylon@utoronto.ca