Elana's Books

Elana's writing focuses on societal trends, culture, equality, education, religion, social justice, abuse, and gender. Two of her books won the National Jewish Book Council award, and one won the Gourmand Award. Follow her newsletter, The Roar.

In My Jewish State: How I was trained in pro-Israel advocacy and learned to talk back to my culture, find my own humanity, and fight for peace

Part memoir and part critical rhetorical analysis of the language of pro-Israel advocacy, In a Jewish State offers a critical and refreshing perspective on the complexities of identity, politics, and advocacy in the Jewish state.

“One of the most insightful observers of contemporary Israeli culture, Elana Sztokman gives us a passionate critique of its political conflicts. With a sharp eye on the ways religion and gender are manipulated, she opens new ways of thinking about Judaism and Zionism that offer possibilities of a peaceful future."

Prof. Susannah Heschel

Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor, Dartmouth College

When Rabbis Abuse:
Power, Gender, and Status in the Dynamics of Sexual Abuse in Jewish Culture

A pioneering, hard-hitting, and comprehensive analysis of one of the most painful subjects in Jewish communal life: Sexual abuse.

"A must read" -- Letty Cottin Pogrebin

Conversations with my Body: Essays on my Life as a Jewish Woman

Personal and political reflections on growing up in the Orthodox Jewish world as a female with a body that was molded according to painful ideals of gender, beauty, femininity, and sexuality.

"Trailblazing!" -- Tel Aviv Review of Books

Masala Mamas: Recipes and Stories from the Women Changing their Communities through Food and Love

A colorful, inspiring exploration of the lives of Indian women working in the Kalwa slum in Mumbai to provide nutrition and sustenance to children in school -- to keep them off the street, to ensure that they get an education, and to help break the cycle of poverty. Proceeds from this book go to the women of Gabriel Project Mumbai.

WINNER of the Gourmand Award in the category of Fundraising

"An incredibly informative and inspiring book." -- Jenny Chandler, United Nations Special Ambassador for International Year of Pulses 2006

The War on Women in Israel: A Story of Religious Radicalism and the Women Fighting for Freedom

An comprehensive and eye-opening exploration of political and social pressures in the State of Israel to render women silent and invisible.

"Cutting, candid, and lucid, Sztokman’s account of injustice makes an eloquent plea for “the assertion of a secular-democratic vision for Israeli society” and will inspire more dialogue. -- Publisher's Weekly

"Compelling....impressive..." -- Jewish Book Council

Educating in the Divine Image: Gender issues in Jewish Education (Co-authored with Chaya Rosenfeld Gorsetman)

A comprehensive analysis of gender issues in Jewish schools -- pedagogy, curricula, sex education, dress-codes, leadership, and unconscious bias -- based on the authors' scholarly research and experience in sociology and education.

WINNER of the 2013 Jewish Book Council Award in Education

"This book makes an important contribution to the field of Modern Orthodox day school education in particular, as well as creating a model for future research.” -- Rabbi Jeffrey S. Fox, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivat Maharat

The Men's Section: Orthodox Jewish Men in an Egalitarian World

A pioneering investigation into the identities of Orthodox men as they grapple with feminism, egalitarianism, and masculinities. Based on interviews with 54 men who participate in "partnership minyanim", Orthodox-feminist spaces that are experimenting with gender equality in a patriarchal culture.

WINNER of the 2011 National Jewish Book Council Award in Women's Studies