Tefillah is an issue that Orthodox feminists have discussed endlessly. Here I make a distinction between tefillah and the synagogue experience. The latter is being addressed with some success in several communities. Mechitzah specifications, placement of the ark that holds the Torah, placement of the podium, women’s voices being heard during kaddish, the calling up […]
Yearning to Connect: Women and Synagogue Prayer Read More »
During three rounds of three-day yamim tovim this year, my husband and I had plenty of time to juggle the somewhat conflicting desires of tending to our young children, and at the same time trying to achieve a meaningful davening experience (and in some way attempting to expose our children to what a meaningful davening
Making Room for Moms in Shul: A Checklist Read More »
One of the key goals of the Women’s tefillah movement is to provide observant Jewish women with the liturgical knowledge, regular opportunities, and communal acceptance so that each woman can “pray as a Jew,” to borrow the title of Hayim Halevy Donin’s useful book. The premise is not that Orthodox women try to pray like
To Pray as a Jewish Woman: A Personal Perspective Read More »
The following letters were received in response to our last issue, “From the Other Side of the Mechitzah.” Compassion and Sensitivity in Pesak Halakha Considering our differing positions, it was not unexpected that my contribution to this summer’s JOFA Journal should immediately follow that of Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber. My respected friend and colleague argued
Letters to the Editor Read More »
In this era of third-stage feminists, cultural feminists, and post-feminism, I often find myself feeling that I am of an older, out-dated generation. Many women today glorify the “women-only” experience. They value the opportunity to create new women’s prayers and religious experiences, while feeling that the liturgy and ceremonies created by men were created for
Separate but Equal? Feminism and Post-Feminism in Birkat Hamazon Read More »
The beautiful textiles that are made today by Jewish fabric artists are part of a long tradition. The contributions of the skills of women to the Mishkan (sanctuary) in the desert and the Temples in Jerusalem are documented in texts. In the description of the setting up of the Mishkan, we read: All the wise-hearted
Women and Synagogue Textiles Read More »
The striking change in our generation—that Limmud Torah (the learning of Torah) has become part of the lives of many women, began as a quest on a personal level, but has since become a broad social phenomenon. The ramifications of this change vastly exceed the achievements of one woman Torah scholar or another, and have
Women in Religious Leadership Today Read More »
Congregational Intern—an odd title if you think about it. Are these women preparing to become congregations? Rabbis? Are they preparing for any future at all? When I served as the intern at Congregation Ramath Orah in Manhattan, I was given many titles by my congregants—congregational intern, shul intern, Drisha intern, rabbinic intern, rabbi intern who
Congretional Interns: What Does the Future Hold? Read More »
Exodus 4:25-26 recounts that Zipporah took a flint and circumcised her son on her own accord (though some claim that Zipporah did not actually perform the circumcision but only gave the order for it). Whether women may circumcise was debated in the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 27a). Rabbi Yochanan allowed it, but Rav forbade it. Following
Women and Circumcision Read More »
Q: MaTaN is now in its eighteenth year. Can you take us back to its founding? What led you to start such an institution? A: Let me go back to when I first came to Israel to study at Michlala right after the Six Day War. I had attended a Bais Yaacov school in Baltimore
Creating New Leaders: Interview with Malke Bina, Founder and Director of MaTaN Read More »
