Strong Biblical Women

Many young women think that they have to choose men as strong role models. But the Bible has many women who are strong role models. Sara, the subject of this lens, is just one of them. Sara was the strong wife of Abraham and, along with Abraham, taught the world about G-d and morality.

Sara started out her life as a princess -- her name was Sari initially, which means princess. But she married Abraham (her uncle, according to some commentators) and left her regal life for the desert and animal husbandry. She was not only mother to her own son (who came to her late in life) but she was the spiritual mother to many more in her own generation and ancestor to billions more to come.

Women, especially religious women, often feel that they have no female role models. But the Tanakh (Old Testament -- Jewish Bible) has many strong female role models.

Sara, came first in the list of Jewish matriarchs. Sara, Abraham's wife, and the mother of Isaac, the second Patriarch spent her life as a helpmate to Abraham but she also protected her son. She kept Isaac away from bad influences.

Sara's worked as Abraham's partner in the desert. They always kept their tent open on all four sides to allow travelers a place to rest and eat. The people who stopped and rested with them often became part of their family.

But Sara wanted a child of her own. She prayed to G-d for a son and her prayers were answered. When she was 90 years old, she gave birth to Isaac. Sara made sure her son had a good home and a good upbringing for 37 years, until she passed away at the age of 127.

These are the four foremothers of the Jewish People:

• שרה -- Sara
• רבקה -- Rivka (Rebecca)
• רחל -- Rahael (Rachel)
• לאה -- Lea

1. Sara -- The Mother of all our people, she was Avraham's helpmate. She was 90 when her son Yitzhak was born
2. Rivka -- Her father and brother were dishonest men but she showed her kindness and open heart by giving water to Eliezer, Avraham's servant, and his donkey. This showed that she was a worthy partner for Yitzhak
3. Lea -- The mother of 6 of the 12 tribes, she was also the mother of Yaakov's only daughter
4. Rahael -- Lea's sister and also the wife of Yaakov, she cried for her children when they were exiled from Israel

"Art Now" is another "Print on Demand" site. They have a nice collection of clocks and watches, including the one pictured here (with "World's Greatest Abba" (Dad) design on it). Click on the picture to see the entire site.

In addition to our Cafe Press and Zazzle sites (see modules above), we also have a store on "Printfection" which includes cutting boards (good wedding or housewarming gifts), mugs and cups, tees, etc.

This cutting board is only one of several Jewish holiday themed items at our store:

This is one of Compugraph Designs' Jewish themed necklaces. This one is acrylic with a brass chain and magnetic closure. Click on the picture to see more.

One of my short stories, "The Gold Star" is now available in illustrated form. The story is about a young boy named Shmuel who helps a poor man without the man knowing.