Shiksa The Gentile Woman in the Jewish World

Within the Jewish people, the gentile woman has long been a magnet for intense feelings, from male yearning to communal hatred. She is simultaneously an erotic trophy and a parent's worst nightmare, the butt of crude jokes and a force credited with the power to bring down a people. Her almost mythic status has tangled historical roots in the culture's most potent fears and fantasies, and wide-ranging repercussions in the Jewish community today. Yet, surprisingly, very little has been written about the actual non-Jewish women who make their way into the Jewish community, some through intermarriage and other liaisons, others entirely outside of relationships with Jews. Fleeting references and belittling caricatures aside, the gentile woman within Judaism remains a nebulous figure, veiled by layers of unexamined assumptions. Let's begin with the "S" word . . . - from Shiksa: The Gentile Woman in the Jewish WorldBenvenuto, Christine is the author of 'Shiksa The Gentile Woman in the Jewish World', published 2004 under ISBN 9780312311469 and ISBN 031231146X.