Israeli author’s book on Jewish women sells out first run in four days

Tami Schlossberg Pruwer and Julie Silverstein’s anthology, Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women, exhausted its first printing in four days. The volume includes 100 biographies and 12 original prints by female artists. Translations into French and Hebrew are complete, with additional languages currently in production.

Pruwer, 40, made aliyah in 2005 after spending her first three years in Milan and the next 16 in Antwerp, Belgium. She studied political science and French literature at Bar-Ilan University and later earned a master’s degree in government from IDC Herzliya. She worked in advertising for Baumann Ber Rivnay, a Saatchi & Saatchi affiliate, where she managed campaigns for FedEx and Google.

The project began in September 2019, the first day of the Israeli school year. Pruwer and Silverstein, who lived in San Francisco at the time, met via email after Silverstein found Pruwer’s book proposal through a Jewish literary organization. They paused work during the 2020 lockdown but continued research. Following the October 7, 2023 attacks, the authors added profiles of Inbal Lieberman and Rachel Edri to reflect the event's impact on Israeli society.

Pruwer stated she was unsure if the book would ever be published due to the pandemic delays. "These stories remind the next generation of Jewish women that they have this superpower of resilience," she said regarding the new additions. The authors have begun adapting the text for theater and screen, and the accompanying portraits are currently displayed in public libraries, synagogues, and churches worldwide.

Pruwer and her husband David, a mental health startup founder, live in Israel with their children Amalia, 8, and Judah, 5. Pruwer cited the lack of Jewish representation in feminist literature as her primary motivation. "But they were lacking in Jewish stories," she said. She remains in Israel despite suggestions to move abroad, noting the ability to live openly there.

The author expressed concern over the Israeli education system, specifically the 1 p.m. end to the school day and bureaucratic hurdles at the Ministry of Education. The family currently supplements their children’s schooling with private tutoring and extracurricular activities. Pruwer attributes her success in navigating local networks to persistence, stating, "You need to have chutzpah to not be afraid to ask!"