Rabbi's Blog 23/6/13

Orthodox Feminism Must Know Its Limits

23/6/2013

JOFA – the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance is an organisation that was set up in order to encourage Orthodox women to be able to find more expression within the realm of Orthodoxy and traditional Judaism.

While we once lived in a world women were treated as second class both in the workplace as well as mainstream society - today that glass ceiling has been broken. And while that is a positive result, some will have argued that traditional Judaism also treats women as second class, and once we’re making inroads in other spheres, let’s revolutionise the religious stance on women as well.

The first thing that has to be made abundantly clear is that Judaism never treated women as second class. That men and women sit separately in synagogue is in order to preserve modesty in a place of prayer. That men “can” put on a prayer shawl, wear a yarmulke etc. while women “can’t,” is a misconception. It is more the case that men are obligated to do so along with many other laws and rituals. The reasons are well documented as having to do with nurturing the spiritual dynamic of men, which is innate to women. These are not rabbinic apologetics, rather recorded long before feminism was even a concept.

Still, it is understandable, in a world women are finding more expression, that they seek the same within the religious sphere and to that end many Rabbis have sought opportunities within the realm of Jewish law.

The problem arises some make the leap in the assumption that “if we could do this, then we could do that as well.” The question then arises, are they coming a place of genuine spiritual yearning or a more feminist equality standpoint of “if men can do it, we can do it too.” I’m a firm believer in looking at the end result to know what the underlying premise is. The truth often lies in the action. Those who are looking to satisfy a soul craving, will adhere to what Rabbis tell them is permissible in Jewish law and act upon it graciously. Those who push the boundaries and look for some Rabbi some that would give them the nod to perhaps even step over said boundaries, are, without doubt, coming with ulterior motif.

The ‘partnership services’ are a case in point. One would be hard pressed to find an Orthodox Rabbi some that accepts such practise even amongst the presumed more lenient within modern-Orthodoxy. In America it is assumed that JOFA are, if not instigators of such a service, certainly strong supporters. JOFA has just launched in the UK and ‘partnership services’ seem to have come out of the closet. That they occurred on the same day may be a coincidence, but the latter will find no support within mainstream Orthodoxy in the UK. The former must be sure to stay true to normative halacha if they want to galvanise support.

When women insist that they want equality in the world – I get it. Quite right too! When they insist they want equality in religious practise – they’re not getting it. When someone comes to me at a dinner several weeks ago in London and says, “Rabbi what would you say to a woman who’s gone to the same Jewish school as her male peers, she’s got the same education, learnt the same texts and now she wants a call-up in synagogue and is denied having one - why shouldn’t she turn her back on Orthodoxy?” My simple answer is, “I appreciate that she wants spiritual expression, but if the call-up is the be-all-and-end-all of what defines her Judaism and how she feels she can express that - such that she’ll either commit or reject on the back of it, then not only does she not appreciate her unique role within the Jewish faith, but she misses the point as to what Jewish practise is altogether.” It’s not about, what can G-d do for me. It’s always and only about what can I do for G-d. And it is G-d and Jewish law that determines that.

The inroads being made for the benefit of Jewish women must be premised on solid ground, lest some might get the wrong impression and look to trek down other avenues as well. Like the young Bat Mitzvah girl in a London Orthodox synagogue many years ago, who after reading a section of her Torah portion in a private women’s service, was reported in the Jewish media to have said: “I only wish my Dad could have been here. I will make sure one day my daughter will have both her parents present.” That kind of misses the point and whatever the initial basis upon which that service was founded, was certainly lost on the young lady.

The ultimate Jewish mission is to redeem this world and a change in the image of the Jewish woman is one of the hallmarks of redemption in keeping with the words of the prophet: “There will yet be heard in the cities of Judah and the outskirts of Jerusalem… the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.”

Every Jewish woman needs to find ‘her’ voice - the feminine voice – the voice of dignity - in order to play her pivotal role in bringing about the redemption of our world. But that voice must emanate the true depths of her soul and not the equality yearning desires of her heart.

This article appeared in the Jewish Chronicle