But God Remembered: Stories of Women from Creation to the Promised Land

by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Bethanne Andersen (Illustrator)

A lively collection of stories that gives voices and names to women from biblical and ancient times whom we seldom remember. This lively collection of four stories is a modern reclaiming of the Bible, a celebration of courageous and wise women from ancient tradition. These stories invite children of all ages and all faiths to remember, and to bring their own faith to life. With vivid prose and lush, full-color illustrations, this storybook

Genres: Religion, Picture Books, Spirituality, Childrens, Nonfiction, Judaism, Theology

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1995

About the author

Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is Rabbi Emerita of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck where she served for 36 years. Upon her retirement she founded the Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts Initiative, now at Herron School of Art and Design at IUI.

After receiving her B.A. and M.A. from Temple University, in 1974 she was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. In addition to being the first woman to serve a Conservative congregation, she and her husband, Dennis C Sasso, are the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history.

Sandy has written and lectured on women and spirituality, the discovery of the religious imagination in children, women’s leadership, and reimagining the Bible. She is the author of several nationally acclaimed books. Most notably, in 2004, Sandy received the Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature and, in 2012 took home the National Jewish Book Award for Best Illustrated Children’s Book for The Shemah in the Mezuzah. In 2019 she won the Glick Regional Author’s Award.

Sandy has been honored as one of the “Influential Women in Indiana” by the Indianapolis Business Journal and was featured among “Indy’s Most Influential Clergy” by NUVO News Weekly. She is the recipient of the “Sagamore of the Wabash”, the highest civilian honor awarded by the Governor of the State of Indiana and has been the recipient of The Heritage Keeper’s award for: the Indiana State Museum, the Torchbearer’s Award from the Indiana Commission for Women, and was designated as a Living Legend along with her husband by the Indiana State Museum.

She has authored more than 30 children's books, 2 books for adults, and numerous articles and essays.

Reviews

[Cheryl A.]

Why not? Though these stories are inspired by the smallest of fragments from the Bible as we now know it, developed in conjunction with others' explorations, they *could* have been in the original texts. Only a literalist who believes that not only is everything in the Bible perfectly true (somehow, despite all the illogic and contradictions!) but also that nothing has been left out or lost, would object, I think.

Midrash stories written by a Rabbi. Art is ok.

I enjoyed them but I have absolutely no spiritual background (had to do research to understand the context necessary here), no skin in the game, so I will not rate.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of midrash: four stories about women from biblical and ancient times who are not well known. Almost no one remembers them, not even their names. These stories imagine and remember. (page 6)

Based on passing references about women, most of them unnamed in Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers, Rabbi Sasso’s stories imagine the women who are remembered by God, but have been forgotten by men: Adam’s first wife before Eve, Pharaoh’s daughter who rescues the baby Moses from the river, the daughter of Jacob, who soothes the old patriarch, so he won’t rage at the sons that sold his favorite Joseph into slavery in Egypt, and the almost disinherited daughters of Zelophehad, who reclaimed their birthright by a direct appeal to the Almighty. These are stories filled with wisdom to inspire justice and truth.

[Elizabeth]

Similar to Daughters of Fire , this book is more explicitly doing midrash, and focuses on only 4 stories.

The book opens with a story of God creating both Memory and Forgetfulness -- because people need to forget things sometimes (lest they'll hold grudges), and even though people will forget important things sometimes, God will remember them. Hence the title of the book.

The next page gives an overview of what midrash is.

[Terry Marzell]

Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg. But God Remembered: Stories of Women from Creation to the Promised Land. Illustrated by Bethanne Andersen. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing. 1995. Target Audience: Ages 8-12. Reading Level: 4.5. Length: 32 pages. ALA Booklist’s Best Book of the Year. Four women mentioned briefly in the Old Testament, whose stories are told in the time-honored midrash tradition. I especially appreciate the Biblical quotes which introduce each tale, the Scriptural tone of the prose, and the poetry of the devotional songs, prayers, and descriptive passages. The feminist protagonists are industrious, resourceful, independent, and courageous—wonderful role models for young girls. The volume features dreamlike illustrations in an artistic style reminiscent of ancient manuscripts, depicted with vivid colors framed by pastel borders. The author cites the Bible and the midrashic tradition as her sources. She could have been more specific. CSULB Class 3 Traditional Literature—The Bible as Literature. (I submit this selection as mythology, using the term mythology in its technical sense as a term to designate "shared belief.")

[Crystal Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by Sasso - the other (Cain and Abel) - yes, a very interesting author. I like how the biblical text is tied into the author's view of today's reality. But, this book I did not care to finish reading to my son because of the route it was taking with the stories but all in all - I love Sasso's works!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book from Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. Actually the book of hers I read first many years ago. I loved it then and love it still. Sometimes people are forgotten, even people who accomplish important things. People can forget. But God always remembers.

[madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

reason # 9999999 i love being jewish &&& wish i understood it more fully.


also, this is not only the most empowering children's book for women i've ever encountered, but it also explains Midrash clearly while honoring the mystery of the Divine and providing zero certainty.

[Miri Gifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. Really lovely.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 midrash bible stories about women. Fascinating subject (new to me), written by the first female rabbi and illustrated by a BYU grad