Many readers of this journal may have heard that their grandmother or great-grandmother fasted “alle Montag und Donnerstag” (every Monday and Thursday). This popular Yiddish saying actually reflects an ancient halakhic tradition, namely, the Talmudic “ta’aniyot bahab”—the fasts of bet–hey–bet (Yom bet is Monday and Yom hey is Thursday)—that were first associated with prayer for […]
Women and Asceticism in the Talmudic Tradition Read More »
We have all heard about women in Israel being stopped from attending the funerals or burials of their loved ones. Yet, it is clear that in Talmudic times and during much of the Middle Ages women took part in funeral processions. This article focuses on the development of the tradition for them not to attend
Women, Funerals, and Cemeteries Read More »
The body in our culture has become a dumping ground for a broad spectrum of emotional experiences and anxieties, and a concrete, socially sanctioned way of expressing self-doubts and existential angst. Many women live just under the radar of full-blown eating disorders as unhealthy eating behaviors have become normative, and perspectives on the female body
Food for Thought: Eating Disorders and the Jewish Community Read More »
For me, the brit of my firstborn son was, first of all, a celebration of the start of my family. I didn’t have a wedding to celebrate: I had never married, and my pregnancy had been achieved using the sperm bank. The beginning of the pregnancy was something too private to celebrate in public. The
A Single Mother by Choice Approaches Brit Read More »
In Fertility and Jewish Law, Dr. Ronit Irshai provides a scholarly and comprehensive review of the halakhic literature on the fertility related topics of contraception, abortion, and artificial reproductive technology (ART). Her clear analysis and explanation of the key issues in each of these sources is commendable. So, too, is her desire to analyze these
Fertility and Jewish Law: Feminist Perspectives on Orthodox Responsa Literature Read More »
“Embracing this new life stage, I see menopause as an indicator of a new era about to emerge— and I rejoice in the wisdom I’ve acquired through the years.” —from the Mayyim Hayyim immersion ceremony upon reaching menopause I first trained as a volunteer mikvah guide in the fall of 2006. A twenty-something not-yet-mom with
Celebrating a New Era: Mikvah and Menopause Read More »
Some other societies have paid much more attention to transition than we have, and in doing so they prepared people much more effectively for the experience of being in transition than our society has prepared us. Those societies typically had rituals (we call them “rites of passage”) to help individuals let go of their outlived
Filling in the Traditional Blanks: Creating Rituals for Miscarriage and Weaning Read More »
Debbie Weissman was one of the early activists in changing the status of women in Jewish life, yet few in JOFA today likely know her name—possibly because she made aliyah in 1972, before the internet or cheap long-distance phone calls. She made her mark in Israel in the field of Jewish education, as head of
Memoirs of a Hopeful Pessimist: A Life of Activism through Dialogue Read More »
The typical pro-choice and anti-abortion positions in debate in American society today do not line up well with halakhic views on abortion. Halakhah never frames the issues in terms of individual choice, nor does halakhah talk in absolutes around the theology of when life begins. Rather, the issues are framed in terms of the value
The Politics of Abortion Read More »
The discussion of abortion in halakhah begins with the life of the mother. Pikuaḥ nefesh, the obligation to preserve life—in this case, the life of the mother—trumps every other obligation except for three: murder, sexual immorality, and idol worship. Until the head of the fetus or the majority of its body has exited the birth
What Does Halakhah Say About Abortion? Read More »
