Overview

What to do when a victorious soldier lusts for the beautiful woman he's just taken captive in an overseas war. In fact, her body already belongs to him as war booty. If they're alone in an alley no one will find out what he does to her. That's the incendiary situation to which the Bible responds with the Beautful Captive Law. The Bible's first step was to stop battlefield rape and protect the vulnerable woman from the powerful soldier. More than that, the Bible has strategies to get the soldier to control himself, even when no one is looking. Then the Bible brings the soldier to care for her as the person she is. The Jewish tradition's next major step was in the 12th century when it empowered the captive to decide for herself what direction she wants her life to take, including going free without marrying him. This book shows how these strategies can work in our communities today, to reduce all kinds of sexual abuse. Tales of passion, martytdom and a rare man who can ""Just say no"" to a rape he could have gotten away with -- can help us educate our youth toward a more respectful future for all gender relations, not just war-time rape. Surprises await both Bible-believers and Bible-skeptics.

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Reviews

""A closely-reasoned, brilliant and compelling presentation with an extraordinary ethical vision. . . a tour de force."" Yitzchak A. Breitowitz Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland Law School & Rabbi Emeritus, Woodside Synagogue Ahavat Torah ""Connecting the past to the present in surprising ways, it presents a challenging and thought provoking argument."" Elisheva Baumgarten, Professor of Jewish Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem ""An instructive and challenging book!"" Warren Zev Harvey, Professor Emeritus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem ""A richly insightful discussion of a vital topic informed by a judicious reading of seminal texts of the Jewish tradition."" Paul Mendes-Flohr, Professor Emeritus, Modern Jewish History & Thought, University of Chicago ""This compassionate and timely study analyzes battlefield sexual aggression, showing how Jewish law's focus on personal responsibility is relevant to contemporary sexual relationships."" Sylvia Barack Fishman, Emerita Professor, Brandeis University ""An engaging book that captures 3000 years of Jewish scholarship on the relevance of the Beautiful Captive Law for the ethics of war and the empowerment of women."" The Revd Canon Leslie J. Francis, Professor Emeritus University of Warwick & Canon Theologian, Liverpool Cathedral, England ""Written in accessible language, the book will interest both scholars and the general public."" Martin Lockshin, University Professor Emeritus, York University ""Startling insights on helping men control their lust."" Joel Roth, Professor Emeritus of Talmud & Jewish Law, Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Author Information

I was born and bred in Southern California. Graduated UCLA with honors in Psychology. Graduate studies at Columbia University (PhD in Developmental Psychology) and ordained at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. At JTS, I taught in the Graduate School of Education. After earning a Certificate in Business Administration at NYU, I was Project Director at a Manhattan market research firm. Our family moved to Israel in 1986. I was a senior member of the Education Faculty at Bar Ilan University for 28 years.

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