Promised the land of milk of honey, in parshat Shelach the Jews reject God after hearing the evil report of the ten spies. How could the Jewish people favor the negative report of the spies over the prophecies of God? If we understand why the spies were so convincing we can make sense of this […]
Prisons of Thought Read More »
Is a woman’s voice sexually stimulating to men? And if so, does her voice need to be silenced in order to enable men to carry on their business undistracted? That there may be a halakhically endorsed silencing of a woman’s singing, or even speaking voice, has been under discussion since the time of the Talmud.
“For Your Voice is Sweet…” An Overview of Kol isha Read More »
Feminism has shaped a radically different reality for modern Orthodox women. It has posed a challenge to those of us who balance our deep commitment to Jewish tradition with the compelling feminist ways of being and living. At the crossroads, we ask whether it is necessary to walk only one path. In the 12th century
Our Tradition, Ourselves Read More »
Interested in learning about current curricular trends for boys and girls, JOFA conducted interviews with three high school administrators. Below is an edited transcript of the interviews. Participants: Mrs. Esther Krauss is principal of the Ma’ayanot High School for girls in Teaneck, New Jersey. Currently in its sixth year, Ma’ayanot has 160 students. Rabbi Zev
In Their Own Words: An Interview with Three High School Administrators Read More »
Exploring the David and Batsheva Story in the Creative Classroom When I told a former seminary teacher of mine I was teaching II Samuel, he challenged me: “Where is the holiness in II Samuel?” I understood his question to mean: how do we teach “difficult texts” to young students? As a teacher of middle and
Teaching Difficult Texts: Read More »
This is our second JOFA Journal devoted to weddings. In the few years since our first issue there have been so many innovations that we felt that the subject deserved another look. For me personally, this comes at an auspicious time since this June my husband and I will celebrate our 40th anniversary. I would
Jeremiah’s Prophecy Read More »
Although Vashti and Esther never meet, the relationship between them is integral to understanding the events of Megillat Esther. Vashti disappears by the end of the first chapter, but she casts a long shadow over the rest of the book. As we encounter Vashti in chapter one, we learn the following about her: She is
The Mirror has Two Faces: An Exploration of Esther and Vashti Read More »
At the beginning of Megillat Esther, we might well wonder why Esther was given naming rights for the work at all. If anything, it seems to be the book of Mordecai, who shapes his own destiny and that of his people. Or perhaps the book of Haman, villain that he is. But Esther? Who is
Introduction The piyyut (liturgical hymn) Va-Yehi ba-Hazi ha-Lailah (It Was in the Middle of the Night), sung at the seder on the first night, was composed by the classic liturgical poet Yannai, whom scholars date to the 6th to 7th centuries. The piyyut refers to events that occurred at various times in Jewish history on
ויהי החצי הלילה • It Was in the Middle of the Night Additional Stanzas Concerning Women Read More »
Two women bridge the stories of Genesis with that of the Exodus. Both women are involved in the birth of the nation and its redemption. They are Yocheved and Serah bat Asher. Both are granddaughters of Jacob; both are identified in different sources as the seventieth member of the family of Jacob to go down
Yocheved and Serah bat Asher Read More »
