Shulamith

These poems treat the condition of Jewish women in the Bible as a prelude to the trials, misfortunes, and victories of the twentieth century. The Biblical women treated in a modern idiom include Eve, Lilith, Sara, Hagar, Leah, Rachel, Shifra, Miriam, Jael, Delilah, Ruth, the Witch of Endor, Bath She-Ba, Tamar, and Vashti. The link between past and present is Shulamith, ‘the singer of all the songs’, who comes at last to America. She helps us remember the Jewish women who resisted extermination in the European ghettos and concentration camps, those who continued to struggle against prejudice and persecution in America, and the heroic trade union militants, especially those in the garment industry who fought against sweatshops.