Prof Rabbi Rachel Adler, Professor of Modern Jewish Thought and Judaism and Gender at Hebrew Union College

“Conversations with My Body is Elana Sztokman's report from the front lines about the battle to control gender socialization in contemporary Orthodoxy.  As her account illustrates, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and secular patriarchies employ similar strategies to control how women may present and perceive themselves. Unflinchingly and personally, she describes the impact on women’s body images, aspirations, and self esteem from the perspective of the injured parties. This was a very moving collection and personally painful to me to read.”