Ascending to a higher plane

Jewish feminism is on the rise, while remaining within the boundaries of the Halacha.

By LIORA MINKA
torah scroll 88 (photo credit: )
torah scroll 88
(photo credit: )
There is nothing like the month of Tishrei for both a personal and public accounting. As one who stands at the head of the National-Religious Women's Organization-Emunah, it seems to me appropriate to weigh up the changes that have transpired over the last years with regard to the status of the religious-Zionist woman. Some are more dramatic, some are more minor. However, taken together, they cannot but lead to one conclusion: Something new, something different and, in my opinion, something positive is happening. One typical example is that women are studying Torah, are delving into Halacha and Jewish sources. While it seems as if this phenomenon has always been with us, it is not so. Until only a few years ago, Torah knowledge was exclusively a male prerogative. In Jewish culture, which exalts learning and defines Torah study as a central value, this reality meant that women's dialogue was of a lower status. The texts of the prayers, of Jewish thought, of Talmudic discourse and interpretation were strange and far from any deep concern for women. Today this all looks and sounds different. The midrashot are flourishing; women study and teach, write and publish, participate in discussions, argue and exhibit scholarship and professionalism, deep and authoritative knowledge. It is natural, almost self-evident. A second example is the new definition of roles within the family. Today it is no longer clear - and certainly not taken for granted - that the woman must stay in the kitchen, among the pots and pans, the shopping and cleaning. The internal functioning of the household is much more equal. In fact, some women develop an independent career outside the home, and the roles in the family are switched around. Today a woman has total legitimization to study, to develop, to follow her dreams and fulfill herself. Society accepts this, and the family, too, has redefined its roles and functions, each according to its needs and lifestyle. The third example I find in the synagogue. This territory, too, is no longer totally male dominated as it had been for generations. There is more and more involvement on the part of women in community life that revolves around the synagogue. There are Orthodox women's minyanim, which adopt a particular style of prayer and independent reading of Megillat Esther. There is more partnership in the administration of the community life, family celebrations, holiday events, etc. Women seem to have more ability and sensitivity, more inner strengths and natural instincts to revitalize and positively influence the congregation that attends - whether regularly or not - synagogue services. This last example is perhaps the most sensitive and problematic of all. Surveys, including ones by Emunah, have shown that there is little controversy regarding the first changes, and certainly no substantial resistance. Based on past trends, I am inclined to believe that the equal minyanim in the synagogues will create, slowly and by degree, a dynamic of change. I must emphasize that in each of these areas I am not speaking about any deviation from the Halachic frameworks of what is permitted and what is not. The natural development cannot be stopped, and there is no reason to stop it. At the same time, every trend has its difficulties, and with every change come trepidations. It is best to clarify them, to deal with them and to make them less painful. We, as a religious women's organization, have developed several frameworks for preparation and assistance, courses and workshops, with the goal of seriously empowering and advancing - with sensitivity and professionalism - the status of women in Israeli society in general and in the National-Religious community in particular. The writer is the chairperson of the National-Religious Women's Organization-Emunah, which received the Israel Prize in 2008.