Being female, I think I can confidently state that women have always had a complicated and stormy relationship with their clothing. There is the ongoing, eternal love affair with fashion, its trends and follies, and then there is the more complex, individual language of specific clothing: its implicit message, symbolism, and power. As an artist, […]
Coat of the Agunot and Garment of the Sotah Read More »
A number of years ago, my husband required major surgery to replace his knees. The only date the surgeon had available was on the 7th day of Pesah. We made arrangements for food in the hospital, and Bikkur Cholim found me an apartment a few blocks away. A day or so before the surgery we
An Orthodox Woman Learns About Prayer Read More »
One of humanity’s first errors was to hide from the all knowing God among the trees of Eden (Genesis 3:8). So it is paradoxical, perhaps, that even in private prayer we cover ourselves to encounter God. This covering cannot be an attempt to hide anything. It cannot serve the function of interpersonal modesty or cultural
The Majestic and the Everyday: Clothing for Blessings and Prayer Read More »
I recently celebrated my one-year wedding anniversary. I also celebrated a year of covering my hair. This complicated halakha plays such a central role in my daily routine. Berets, wigs, hats, falls . . . they are the last item I put on before I leave the house and the first thing I take off
A number of years ago, I had occasion to travel to Japan with a few friends. It was a wonderful opportunity and gave us a chance to experience firsthand a strikingly different culture from our own, as we encountered the combination of ultra-high modernity and Old World heritage for which the Japanese are famous. One
Exposing Tzniut: Reflections Towards a Redefinition of Modesty Read More »
It is commonplace that dress is a cultural artifact. Our assumptions about men and women, what roles they play in society, indeed our very notions of masculinity and femininity are products of the cultures in which we live and are often encoded in our dress. This is not only a modern notion, but appears early
Dress, Gender and Jewish Law Read More »
This issue of the Journal has brought a rush of memories to me about the Bat Mitzvah experiences of my three daughters. My first daughter had her Bat Mitzvah more than 30 years ago. When she turned 11, we began conversations about what she would do to celebrate this milestone. I wanted it to be
A Changing Landscape Read More »
A year into my high school teaching career, I began teaching a class called Mishpacha: Jewish Family Life. My previous nine years of teaching experience had been with elementary and middle school students in yeshivot and congregational schools. This opportunity, at Yeshivah of Flatbush [in Brooklyn, New York], enabled me to craft a course that
Lessons on Gender: A Class on Jewish Family Life Read More »
Six years ago, my husband, Saul Strosberg, and I moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Saul had just graduated from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School and had accepted the position of rabbi at Sherith Israel, the Orthodox synagogue in Nashville. For weeks after we made the move, I wondered what had made me agree to it. I
Living and Learning in the Bible Belt Read More »
Feminist discourse in the Orthodox Jewish community—where it has been allowed in—has largely been driven and shaped by the voices of women; and unsurprisingly so. As women sought equal access to Jewish learning and practice, as women shared the pain of exclusion and missed opportunities, it was the female perspective that was being heard, debated,
Educating Our Boys Read More »
