Ellen Frankel, CEO and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society, will give a talk on "The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman’s Commentary of the Torah" at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at UNC Asheville. Her talk, the 2001 Phyllis Freed Sollod Memorial Lecture presented by UNCA’s Center for Jewish Studies, is based on her recently published book of the same title. The event is free and open to the public, and will be held in UNCA’s Owen Conference Center.

Weaving together Jewish lore, the voices of Jewish foremothers, Yiddish fable, midrash and stories of her own imagining, Frankel has created a vivid exploration into what the Torah means to women. She has given voices to Miriam, Esther, Dinah, Lilith and many other women of the Torah to dialogue with Jewish mothers, daughters and grandmothers, past and present. Together these voices examine and debate every aspect of a Jewish woman’s life, from work and marriage, to God and the Jewish community.

As a noted scholar of Jewish folklore, Frankel has published "The Classic Jewish Tales: 4,000 Years of Jewish Lore" and "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols." She is also the editor of "The Jewish Spirit: A Celebration in Stories and Art." Her most recent book is "An Illustrated Hebrew Bible."

The Phyllis Freed Sollod Annual Memorial Lecture is made possible through an endowment established by Norman Sollod in memory of his wife, who was an active leader in the Asheville Jewish community. This year, the program is co-sponsored by UNCA’s Center for Jewish Studies, Women’s Studies Program and Cultural and Special Events Committee, Asheville-Hendersonville Chapter of Hadassah and the Horowitz Fund.

For more information, call UNCA’s Center for Jewish Studies at 828/251-6576.