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Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
Michal Mendelsohn’s Rabbi, Your Cleavage Is Showing is a memoir that traces an extraordinary and unconventional path from a turbulent childhood to a historic role in North American Jewish life. Mendelsohn introduces herself as a young girl growing up in Manhattan, shaped by isolation, family silence, and an intense inward life sustained by books and music. Her story moves through formative experiences of displacement and longing, including her complicated relationship with tradition, community, and belonging. She recounts bold decisions that carried her far beyond what was expected of women in her generation, including her journey to Israel, her time in the IDF, and her eventual decision to enter the rabbinate in the 1970s. The memoir offers an intimate account of becoming, showing how personal hardship, spiritual questioning, and determination intertwined as she stepped into leadership within a world still adjusting to women in sacred roles.
Michal (Mikki) Mendelsohn writes with sharp honesty, vivid detail, and a voice that balances humor with reflection. The pacing is expansive, moving from childhood scenes filled with sensory memory (some quite heartbreaking, such as being sent to summer camp at such a young age) to larger turning points in faith, feminism, and vocation. Mendelsohn’s prose is direct and story-driven, and her inclusion of poetry with memoir chapters adds variety. The book will especially appeal to readers interested in spiritual autobiography, Jewish history, women breaking barriers in religious life, and memoirs that combine personal experiences with broader questions about community and tradition. Mendelsohn’s storytelling invites readers into a life shaped by persistence, curiosity, and the ongoing work of claiming one’s voice. Rabbi, Your Cleavage Is Showing is inspirational, heartwarming, educational, and deeply engaging.
