Q&A with Sandy Eisenberg Sasso

 

 

 

Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is the author of the new children's picture books In My Own Voice and Miriam's Dancing Shoes. She was the first woman rabbi ordained by the Reconstructionist movement of Judaism. She lives in Indianapolis.

 

Q: What inspired you to write a children’s picture book about the first woman cantor?

 

A: I have always wanted to lift up the stories of women. In most of the history I read, they were missing. I asked myself: what were their challenges, their worries, what brought them joy and fulfillment?

 

Writing women back into history is what inspired me to write children’s books on the first women rabbis, Rabbi Regina Jonas and Rabbi Sally Priesand, and the first bat mitzvah, Dr. Judith Kaplan Eisenstein. If these stories were being told at all, they were not being written for youngsters.  I felt that young people needed these role models.

 

When I learned that Barbara Ostfeld, the first woman to become a cantor, was celebrating the 50th anniversary of her ordination, I knew I wanted to tell that story as well.

Q: How was the book's title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The book is called In My Own Voice. It seems like an obvious choice, because it is a story about singing.

 

But it is not just about the music voice. In writing the book, I was asking myself: What happens when the majority of voices are different than yours, not only in sound, but in style and in content? How do you step out of the crowd, realize that while you should learn from others, you shouldn’t imitate them? 

 

As I learned more and more about Barbara’s amazing journey, it became even clearer that as much as we pay attention to what is happening outside of us, we need also to attend to what is happening on the inside. What about us is different and can make a difference?

 

Barbara found her own voice, she made a difference, and it is what made her a great cantor.

 

Q: You also have another new picture book, Miriam’s Dancing Shoes. What inspired you to focus on the biblical story of Miriam?

 

A: Miriam’s role in the Exodus had always fascinated me. Her story was an invitation to explore how to find courage and joy in challenging times. 

 

Then I came across an article describing how the sandals worn by Egyptian women were made of reeds. That was all I needed to begin to write. 

 

It made sense to me that Miriam would have made shoes out the reeds of Nile, the very same reeds where she had hidden her brother, Moses, to save him from Pharoah. From there the story just flowed.

 

We often tell the Exodus story with heroes who are never afraid. But what sane person would not fear the Nile Sea, the Egyptian army, and the desert? I imagine that as the people were ready to cross the sea, they froze, their muscles tensed. 

 

What Miriam gave them, and those who followed her, was dance. They were able to overcome their fears for a moment and move forward.  Moses might have thought taking dancing shoes was frivolous, but Miriam believed that they were just what was needed.

 

Then, after the October 7 attack on Israel, the story took on an additional meaning for me. One of the responses to the Hamas attacks on the Nova music and dance festival was to say, “We will dance again!”  

 

Q: What do you think the illustrations, by Chloe Greenberg and Joani Rothenberg respectively, add to the books?

 

A: It always amazes me how artists read a story and make it come alive. Artists do more than just make pictures out of words; they tell a complementary story. They make the words come alive and give them depth. 

 

Chloe recreated the time and place of Barbara’s story. The historical accuracy really added another dimension. Her art allows you to imagine yourself in Barbara’s classroom, feel her anxiety, and experience her joy.

 

Joani has illustrated several other of my books, and I love how she brings her imagination to the narrative. The deep colors of the illustrations move across the page and feel like they are dancing. What a wonderful complement to the story.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am always afraid to talk about my work until it is near completion.  You never really know where a story will take you. All I can say is that I am still writing!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Sandy Eisenberg Sasso.