Description
My Grandmother’s Candlesticks: Judaism & Feminism
A Multigenerational Memoir
by Diane Schulder Abrams
Hardcover; List Price $35 / NOW $29.75
Diane Schulder Abrams’ unpredictable life story encompasses avid participation in the feminist movement of the 1960s and ‘70s to traditional Jewish observance, and the realization that the two need not contradict each other. At the encouragement of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, she undertook to write this volume about the inspiration she received from her grandmother, how it shaped her, and how she transmitted to her own daughters.
Spanning seven generations three continents, as well as cultural, political, and technological revolutions, this captivating multigenerational memoir tells the story of one family’s struggle to maintain its faith and to retain its traditions. Assimilation, women’s equality, and resurgence of antisemitism are interwoven major themes. Schulder Abrams manages to seamlessly weave all these elements together in presenting the journey that is this family’s history, while placing at its center the woman who sets the story in motion, her grandmother Rose (Rochel) Schulder, strong, confident yet humble, respected by those who knew her.
About the Author
After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1964, Diane Schulder Abrams clerked for Judge Dudley B. Bonsal, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. She then worked as a trial lawyer for the Legal Aid Society in New York City for two years. In 1968, she was part of the team that represented Dr. Benjamin Spock who was indicted in Boston federal court on conspiracy charges based upon his anti-Vietnam war activities. In 1969, she created and taught the first Women and the Law course at a law school in the United States, first at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and then at New York University School of Law. Subsequently, she practiced matrimonial law in Manhattan. In 2000, she joined Brown Harris Stevens Residential Real Estate Properties where she worked as a real estate broker for more than twenty years.
Her articles have appeared in law journals and national periodicals and newspapers. She is co-author with Florynce Kennedy of the book, Abortion Rap, and author of a chapter in the book edited by Robin Morgan, Sisterhood is Powerful: An Anthology of Writings from the Women’s Liberation Movement. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Robert Abrams, former New York State Attorney General.
About the Book
“Having known Diane Schulder Abrams and Bob Abrams for decades, even before their marriage, my familiarity with them stems from their involvement in the Soviet Jewry movement and their longstanding activism. I also had the opportunity to engage with members of the distinguished Schulder family. Therefore, when I delved into “My Grandmother’s Candlesticks,” my interest was already piqued. However, the depth of its engrossing and captivating narrative exceeded my expectations.
I found myself completing the book in two sittings, deeply moved by the content that resonated with me and, I believe, will resonate with every reader, albeit in unique ways. The exploration of each generation within the narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the collective memories and contexts that shape our lives. Within the pages lie implicit and explicit subtexts, inviting thoughtful reflection, making the messages within particularly relevant in the turbulent times we currently navigate. This work offers both comfort and challenge, capturing the transitions in the author’s life that mirror the experiences of many.
As the narrative flows seamlessly through the generations, each contributing its distinct characteristics, a remarkable commonality emerges. It is this common thread that provides readers of all ages and backgrounds with valuable insights. Diane Schulder Abrams skillfully employs a sensitive and warm writing style reflective of her own personality, elevating “My Grandmother’s Candlesticks” to a recommended read for anyone seeking enlightenment and inspiration.”
Malcolm Hoenlein
Vice Chair/CEO Emeritus
Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations
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My Grandmother’s Candlesticks, Judaism and Feminism, a Multigenerational Memoir, by Diane Schulder Abrams, is a must read for those who would like to take a remarkable trip through several generations of the American Jewish experience.
Reading this riveting memoir is like being there with Diane at your side, reliving the halcyon years of the 60s and 70s. You are there with her during the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement, the opposition to the Vietnam War, and the burgeoning Feminism Movement. As a significant, intimate and active player in these movements, Diane stands with us, as we look over her shoulder at the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the Chicago 8 trial, the trial of Dr. Benjamin Spock, (Diane was a member of his defense team), the Kent State massacre, and her interaction with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who taught her famous course on Women and Law the year after Diane taught her trailblazing course at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
The most moving part for me is the impact of Diane’s grandmother (Rose Schulder) on Diane and her family’s religious development. Diane’s writing about her grandmother serves as an important, powerful and oh-so timely rebuttal to those who claim that Jewish traditional culture belittles women.
Although she is a serious intellectual and successful businesswoman (she’s an accomplished lawyer, writer, and real estate broker), her very emotional descriptions of her relationships with her husband, her daughters and their spouses, and particularly the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and her devotion to them, can serve as a genuine learning experience for us all. The depiction of the struggle that Diane and Bob endured when their eldest daughter and her husband announced their plans to make Aliyah with their only grandchild, should become a classic in American Jewish literature.
Thank you, Grandma Schulder, for making this book possible by leaving your candlesticks for your very talented granddaughter.
Ephraim Buchwald is the rabbi of the Lincoln Square Synagogue Beginners Service and Founder and Director of NJOP, the National Jewish outreach Program
