Kissing Girls on Shabbat

A sharp and poignant memoir of self-love, faith, and the radical joy of escape from a life defined by expectation

Sara Glass grew up as Malka, a devout, obedient member of New York’s Hasidic community. Her friends and family brought her love and purpose, but Sara became all too aware of the limitations into which she was born. Her loveless arranged marriage made it clear: she would live a life devoted to childbearing, keeping house, and managing her emotionally unstable husband.

But inside, Sara held a secret—her queer identity, finally acknowledged after a chance meeting with a captivating young woman. Split between familial expectations at home and freedom unlike any she’d felt before, Sara embarked on a rocky journey to self-acceptance that would see her go head-to-head with her faith.

Tormented by the looming threat of losing her two precious children, a profound loss and shocking trauma forces her to look inward and realise that she must live a fully honest life, not just for herself, but for her son and daughter. In this stunning story of resilience, identity, and righteous rebellion, Sara takes us with her as she seizes control of her life, sheds exploitative tradition, and embraces the bliss of real pleasure for the first time.

Kissing Girls on Shabbat is a love letter to Sara’s children, a truthful and nuanced window into one woman's experience of all-encompassing religious devotion, and an inspiring celebration of loving oneself, bravely, at any cost.