Reading List

Jews are ‘the people of the book’, so in this spirit we’ve put a short reading list together that we hope will be helpful if you want to find out more about Jewish culture and religion, particularly in relation to pregnancy, birth and family life.

We commission original blogs on a range of related subjects which you can access in the section below.

Books on Jewish identity

How to be a Jew Today by Noah Feldman

Mamaleh Knows Best by Marjorie Ingall

Churzpah Girls - 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women by Julie Silverstein

Here All Along - Finding Meaning, Spirituality and a Deeper Connection to Life - in Judaism by Sarah Hurwitz

Chutzpah! - A memoir of Faith, Sexuality and Daring to Stay by Yehudis Fletcher

Jewish Pride - rebuilding a people by Ben M. Freeman

Guides to Jewish birth & parenting

Be Fruitful: The Jewish Pregnancy and Birth Guide by B.J Woodstein (published in 2026)

A Time to be Born - Customs and Folklore of Jewish Birth by Michele Klein

For Generations: Jewish Motherhood edited by Mandy Ross and Ronnie Randall

Books on antisemitism

People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn

Everyday Hate by Dave Rich

Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel

Blogs

We commission original writing about the Jewish experience and issues that effect the Jewish community through pregnancy, birth and parenting. If you are interested in writing a blog for us we’d love to hear from you so please get in touch and we can help with editing.

  • Shifrah UK - Blog Guidelines

    Shifrah UK was created to foster an environment where every Jewish birth worker, birthing woman, and family feels safe and secure. Named after Shifrah and Puah, the courageous Hebrew midwives in the Exodus story, we celebrate and educate on Jewish cultural birth practices, offering information, training, and advocacy in maternity and birth care.

    Our blog is a space for birth workers, parents, academics, artists, and healthcare professionals to share perspectives, research, and experiences that contribute to our mission of cultural safety, education, and community support.

    Guidelines for Submission

    We welcome contributions from:

     

    ●      Birth workers, doulas, midwives, student midwives, and healthcare professionals

    ●      Academics and researchers exploring Jewish birth practices or maternity care

    ●      Parents and advocates with lived experiences or insights

    ●      Artists and creatives reflecting on birth, tradition, and culture

    Content

    ●      Your article should relate to Jewish birth, parenting, maternity care, or cultural safety.

    ●      We accept a wide range of topics, from personal reflections to professional insights.

    ●      We aim to keep the focus on education, experience, and community rather than political viewpoints.

    ●      Articles should be between 500 - 1000 words.

    ●      Any images must be high-resolution (at least 300 dpi).

    ●      Links to films should be no longer than 3 minutes.

    ●      All rights remain with the author.

    How to Submit

    Please email an initial proposal with the subject "Shifrah UK Blog Submission" to shifrahuk@gmail.com. We will review your idea and discuss next steps. Shifrah UK retains the right to accept or decline submissions based on our mission and values.