Kol Isha means "voice of the woman." Although the Bible as a work of literature is replete with colorful characters who help define certain moral and ethical characteristics, most of the memorable main characters are male. In truth, many women people the pages of this story as well. In this work of poetry, I give a voice to major and minor female characters, some of whom are only mentioned in passing or not named at all. These poems express feelings of loneliness, alienation and disenfranchisement as well as wonder, hope, love, and joy. Although Biblical women lived thousands of years ago, I...

The Book of Ruth appears in the Bible in the Ketuvim (Writings) section. It tells the story of Ruth and Naomi, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who are bound together by tragedy and love. Ruth agrees to follow Naomi to the land of Israel and accept Naomi's faith as her own. In Bethlehem, Ruth meets and falls in love with Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi. The fruit of their love is their great, great grandson, King David, the sweet singer of Israel.