This seems to be departed Jewish goddesses week...

Scholarly studies concerning Judaism and the Tanakh, or the Jewish Bible, crop up a lot, and since the late '70's-early '80's, there have been eyebrows raised when evidence of actual female deities mixed up in Judaism's origins crops up.  This latest concerning Asherah is no exception.  A lively discussion on my Queens synagogue listserve has put forth that Asherah is still there, she's simply been sublimated into the role of Shekhinah, God's feminine presence.At any rate, it's not likely that a largely patriarchal religion is going to be welcoming the goddess into its practices.

Sadly, when I first heard about screen goddess Elizabeth Taylor's death yesterday, I could only see her as the butt of too many jokes, the Lindsay Lohan of her day.  I've never seen one of her movies all the way through, and I had no idea she was a Jew by choice.  I'm starting to enjoy the phrase "Jewish audacity", however.  When all is said and done, Elisheba was quite a broad.

Tomorrow, however, is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which killed many Italian and Jewish immigrant women, kicking off lobbying for safer working conditions and stronger workers' unions to get worker safety done right.  At a time in our history when unions are under siege, it cannot go without saying that without the power to bargain collectively, it could indeed be a worker's very life at stake.