Anyone who has been on the Jewitchery Yahoo Group in the past two years knewthis book, Magickal Judaism, was coming. Jennifer Hunter is one of our own, and put great trust in her community by sharing what she was working on with us. Needless to say, this built up great anticipation in the community. People were excited that there was going to be about Jewitches, as a unique nitch in both the Jewish and Pagan communities. The fact that someone was going to tell our story — that was exciting.
The book is a mixture of narrative and interviews with a variety of flavors of Jewitches. There are thirteen featured contributors to this book. I find that number funny as hell, since that’s the traditional number of people in a Wiccan coven. Oh, and let me say up front — I don’t think there’s a Wiccan in the bunch, except maybe Jen. Each of the feature contributors, including myself, were interviewed by Jennifer either by phone or email about a variety of topics. Our answers are used as illustrations throughout the book, as Jennifer brings up various issues about the world of Jewitchery. Jennifer does a great job of explaining both the Pagan and Jewish elements, without being pedantic. In reality, most readers will have a stronger foundation in one than the other and need explanations of different terms and ideas.
I’m really impressed by how well Jen was able to show the variety and diversity in our small community. The age range and paths of the people interviewed is far and wide. I think one thing that will surprise people is how old we all are. I’m one of the youngest at 32. Many of the people interviewed are in their 40s and up. I am also glad that Jen was able to include Elisheva. While Elisheva would never call herself a Jewitch, she is a hugely important part of the Magickal Judaism community. Also as a native Israeli, she brings a unique and often surprising perspective to things.
I highly recommend this book to everyone in the Magickal Judaism community both as a personal read and as a great way to explain your beliefs and community to your family. I’m really proud of being a part of this book. I’m going to add it to my “Jewitchery 101” reading list — because I think anyone who calls themself a Jewitch, owes it to themself to read this book.
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