Every Tallit Tells a Tale

Every Tallit Tells a Tale is an inspired and inspiring anthology of never-before-published essays and poems, all focusing on how the Jewish prayer shawl, known as a tallit (or tallis) figures in and enriches each writer¡¦s spiritual life. Every Tallit Tells a Tale reveals how the fringes of the tallit tie together generations within a family and generations within the larger family of all Jews. Tallit designers mesh their spiritual and creative urges as they weave or sew or knit prayer shawls for themselves or their loved ones. And for many writers¡Xwomen especially¡Xdonning a tallit for the first time and uttering the age-old bracha, once exclusively reserved for men, takes on monumental significance. The book crosses generations and looks at the Jewish prayer shawl through the eyes of both younger and older people, Americans as well as Israelis. It conjures up poignant and heartfelt memories. This anthology was compiled by Debra W. Smith, a Jewish life educator who writes about her own journey from the fringe of Judaism to the fringes of the tallit. Joining her in this anthology are rabbis, cantors, and laypeople, who weave stories about the Jewish prayer shawl from generation to generation, including some that survived the Holocaust. Like the individual brushstrokes of an impressionist painting, these individual stories and poems blend into an image with its own meaning, its own contours. The image that emerges from reading these stories together reflects a traditional yet evolving religion. These never-before-told stories resonate strongly in the Jewish community. And for those who are looking to study the Jewish religion, Every Tallit Tells a Tale is a lovely introduction to this ancient faith.