What happens when women finally enter the conversation that's been about them all along?

In this episode of Madlik: Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Prof. Rabbi Wendy Zierler — Sigmund Falk Professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies at HUC-JIR, ordained by Yeshivat Maharat, and author of Going Out with Knots: My Two Kaddish Years with Hebrew Poetry.

Key Takeaways

1. Expect to rethink assumptions about primary biblical characters—especially the matriarchs—and appreciate the living tradition of midrash as a vehicle for creativity and challenge.
2. Hear how feminist perspectives and modern poetry revitalize Jewish text study, offering new interpretations for "the life of Sarah"—and the legacies that women shape.
3. Explore the argument that literary and artistic creation in Hebrew is as much a part of Jewish commentary as classic text study.

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Geoffrey introduces the episode and guest Rabbi Professor Wendy Zierler, setting up a feminist exploration of Sarah's story in Genesis.

[00:02:31] Discussion begins on Sarah's laughter and how women's scholarship reframes her response and role in Torah narratives.

[00:03:46] Wendy explains the irony of "Chayei Sarah" focusing on Sarah's death and how reading the gaps reveals her inner life.

[00:05:36] They examine Abraham and Sarah's separation after the Akedah and what it reveals about love, obedience, and divine testing.

[00:09:02] Wendy argues the Akedah causes a rupture—between Abraham and Sarah, Abraham and Isaac, and even Abraham and God.

[00:12:40] The hosts explore new feminist midrash: Sarah's imagined agency, waiting for angels, and representing love over fear.

[00:17:22] Conversation turns to Sarah's burial choice as an act of leadership that shaped the matriarchal roots of the Jewish story.

[00:19:53] Transition to Wendy's book Going Out with Knots and how Hebrew poetry became her lens for mourning and feminist study.

[00:21:41] Wendy teaches Leia Goldberg's reinterpretation of "the three pillars of the world," highlighting women's creative renewal of tradition.

[00:26:42] Discussion closes with Yehuda Amichai's outsider voice, women's return to Hebrew literature, and modern creativity as living midrash.

Links & Learnings

Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/

Sefaria Source Sheet:https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/688219

Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Link to Wendy's Book: https://jps.org/books/going-out-with-knots/

Link to theTorah.com article: https://www.thetorah.com/article/sarah-finally-separates-herself-from-abraham