Bella Book

Bella Book

Bella Book grew up in Whitsett, North Carolina, before attending Mount Holyoke College where she recently earned a BA in English and in History. She discovered her love of public history while studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh. Bella's interests include the democratization of storytelling, championing women's stories, and creating safe spaces for dialogue and learning. She currently attends law school at the University of Michigan. During her time at JWA, she managed the office, social media, and Jewish Women, Amplified

Blog Posts

Cropped Image of RBG portrait

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michigan, and Me

Bella Book

When I think of William W. Cook’s virulent desire to refuse admission to all Jews at the University of Michigan ... I am comforted and emboldened by the thought of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. William W. Cook would not have liked the notorious RBG.

Carrie Fisher in When Harry Met Sally

The Five Most Feminist Moments from When Harry Met Sally

Bella Book

Imagine my delight when I discovered that, much like a fine wine and the old bag of M&Ms I recently found in the console of my car, Nora Ephron’s classic, smart, script has not only aged well but has in fact been improved by a growing social awareness that women shouldn’t be shamed for knowing what they want and how they want it.

Topics: Feminism, Film
LGBTQ Quiz Cover Photo

Quiz: Which LGBTQ Activist Are You?

Bella Book

As we work to create a better and more inclusive future for all, take our quiz to figure out which pioneering Jewish activist you are!

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2004

RBG: Icon and Bubbe

Bella Book

The film traces her transformation from a young Jewish girl in Brooklyn ... to her current status as a veteran justice, cultural icon, and bubbe. Younger women may know more about RBG’s more recent work, but the film emphasizes how her early work in the 1960s and ‘70s totally changed life for American women in fundamental ways.

Topics: Feminism, Film
Votes for Women and March for Our Lives Composite

Stories Don't Stop

Bella Book

March is almost over, and we all know what that means. 

We’re done. Finished. 

We came, we saw, we hashtagged WomensHistoryMonth and now we can retreat to our feminist lairs, cackling and dreaming of government-subsidized maternity leave and free tampons.

Gerda Lerner at Sarah Lawrence College

10 Quotes from the Jewish Founder of Women's History Month

Abby Richmond
Bella Book

Here are some choice quotes on marginality, what progress looks like, and why women’s history matters, from the Jewish woman who started it all!

Silence Breakers Throughout History Composite (Color)

Historical Silence Breakers

Bella Book

Here are just a few of the Jewish women throughout history who spoke out, breaking long-held silences about social issues and women’s disenfranchisement. Their stories remind us that change happens when women use their voices, loudly and together.

Composite Image of Women's Marches (1913 and 2017)

Marching with Sadie

Bella Book

Sadie Loewith would have marched this weekend, joining a million other women around the world as they took to the streets to demand a more equal society. I know this because Sadie did march in 1920, joining the multitudes of other women in the streets of Washington D.C. who were fighting for the ratification of the 19th amendment.

Unscrewed Close-up title image

Unscrewing Ourselves

Bella Book

Friedman’s book dives into the national narrative of female sexual submissiveness that’s perpetuated by our patriarchal culture. This narrative comes in the form of abstinence-only sex education, widespread toxic masculinity, and a collective reluctance to support women’s sexuality on a social and political level.

Gloria Steinem and Linda Stein, Suited Up (cropped)

Diving into the Wreck with Linda Stein

Bella Book

Imagine my surprise when I encountered the equivalent of an androgynous rubber suit embodied in the sculpture of artist/activist Linda Stein. Unlike Rich’s suit, which is confined to the page, Stein’s art is tangible. In fact, some of these sculptures are wearable.

How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Bella Book." (Viewed on September 26, 2023) <https://jwa.org/blog/author/bella-book>.