Jofa Articles
Shaming women who have abortions is not a Jewish ethic
(JTA) — I have long been a keeper of women’s stories, many of which relate to fertility and reproductive choices, experiences generally shrouded in secrecy. While I am honored to …
American Orthodox rabbis: The complicity of silence
American political lines align Orthodox Jewish groups with Christians when it comes to abortion, taking an approach that contradicts their own rich rabbinic literature
Form Follows Values
By Adam Starr Buildings can speak. Not with words, but with values—the values of their builders and the communities that use them. Thanks to the extreme generosity of our membership, …
My Bat Mitzvah Lesson
By Alan M. Schwartz Memorial Day 2009 was a milestone in the life of our family. My wife and I had chosen that Monday as the date for our daughter …
Family Seating at Life-Cycle Events
By Justin Sakofs For most of our married life, my wife and I have been members of minyanim with a mehitzah, and presently we are members of Kol Sasson, the …
Where Were the Women? The First Ezrat Nashim
By Vivian B. Mann In the fall of 2015, a young girl, viewing the synagogue models in the Yeshiva University Museum in New York City, asked, “But where would I …
CAPTIONS: MANN. WHERE WERE THE WOMEN?
Figure 1. Cordoba Synagogue, Interior, 1314/5. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Sapieha.Figure 2. Lorca Synagogue, general view of interior, first half of 15th century. After Ramón Avaso Martínez, ed., Lorca: Luces …
