As a Burning Flame: The Dream of Regina Jonas by Noa Mishkin

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A beautifully illustrated graphic novel—part introduction to the first ordained Ashkenazi woman rabbi, and part lyric memoir on the author’s experience as a religious feminist Jew.

As a Burning Flame: The Dream of Regina Jonas is a graphic novel exploring the life and impact of the first female ordained rabbi in Ashkenazi Jewish history. Regina Jonas (1902–1944) was active in prewar Berlin and later in the Theresienstadt ghetto as a community leader, lecturer, and organizer, until her murder at Auschwitz. As a Burning Flame recounts Regina’s story through creatively woven fragments of her own writing and Noa Mishkin’s meditative and imaginative illustrations. The novel then turns to explore where Regina’s story intersects with Noa’s own, as a young religious feminist searching for her own path. Ideal for readers of any religious background, As a Burning Flame aims to introduce its audience to this long-forgotten chapter of Jewish feminist history, and to inspire conversation about evolving female religious identities in our own time.

Year first published: 2023