One sign of a modern society is that the summer months become a time to take a break from work and school, and many people use the break to travel. Whether for a summer trip to a family reunion, national park, or beloved beach or for a more extended journey to distant climes, traveling is often a life-changing experience.

So it was for the Jewish women highlighted in this month's feature. Glikl bas Judah travelled throughout western Europe in the mid-17th century, a time when few people of either sex or any religious group ventured beyond the village where they were born. Esther Brandeau left her native France disguised as a man and was the first Jew known to arrive in Canada. Henrietta Szold made her first trip to Palestine as an inquisitive tourist; Joanna Eckstein visited and wrote about every continent, while Ruth Gruber was a foreign correspondent who reported for the Herald Tribune before and after WW II.

These women's stories remind us that being on the road can enrich our lives and the lives of those around us.