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Expanding the Jewish Feminist Agenda Judith Plaskow

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Expanding the Jewish Feminist Agenda Judith Plaskow Expanding the Jewish Feminist Agenda Judith Plaskow ewish feminists have succeeded in changing the task of religious feminists in the new millennium is to face of Jewish religious life in the United States end this counterproductive division of labor. How can J beyond the wildest dreams of those of us who, in we hope to soli* the gains of the last decades with- the late 1960s, began to protest the exclusion of women out sophisticated analyses of power in the Jewish com- from Jewish religious practice. Thirty years ago, munity and in the larger society? How do we begin to who could have anticipated that, at the turn of the theorize and act on the ways in which creating a more century, there would be hundreds of female rabbis just Judaism is but a small piece of the larger task of representing three Jewish denominations, untold creating a more just world? numbers of female Torah and Haftorah readers, and Jewish feminists have diffidtytransforming Jew- female cantors and service leaders in synagogues ish liturgy and integrating the insights of feminist throughout the country? scholarship into Jewish education not simply because Who could have imagined that so many girls of religious barriers but also because of lack of access would expect a full bat mitzvah as a matter of course, to power and money. A 1998 study commissioned by or that Orthodox women would be learning Talmud, Ma’yan, The Jewish Women’s Project in New York, mastering synagogue skills, and functioning as full documented the deplorable absence of women from participants in services of their own? the boards of major Jewish organizations. Of 2,315 Equal access to all the roles and responsibilities members representing boards of 45 important national of Jewish religious life has been - and remains - a Jewish organizations, only 25% were women. Al- hard fight for women in many individual congrega- though this study has yet to be integrated with an tions, and it has been far easier to achieve than trans- analysis of feminist progress on religious issues, surely formation of the content of Jewish liturgy and teach- the difficulty of institutionalizingfeminist curriculum ing. Yet even in this more difficult area, there have projects or of finding funding for major feminist com- been steps toward change. Birth ceremonies for baby mentaries is related to the absence of women from the girls, experimental liturgies, new denominational and halls of power. Moreover, boards of Jewish organiza- alternative prayerbooks reflecting women’s presence tions are themselves being rendered increasingly ir- and/or offering new God-language, feminist midrash relevant by the wealth of a small number of individu- and commentaries on biblical texts, are all part of the als whose private foundations have the power to set American Jewish scene. It is true that institutionaliz- the agenda for their communities. This concentration ing these gains remains an enormous challenge. But of power and money in the Jewish community points enough has been accomplished that it seems appro- to the necessity of connecting Jewish issues with priate for Jewish feminists to ask, what next? larger social problems because it is part of the grow- What is next, I would argue, is moving beyond a ing economic inequality in the United States and single-minded focus on internal religious issues and around the globe. synthesizingthe concerns of religious and secular Jew- Jewish feminists have been extraordinarily suc- ish feminists. Up until now, there has been a remark- cessful in reshaping the internal landscape of Ameri- able lack of conversation among feminists addressing can Jewish religious life. Now it’s time to connect religious questions, those criticizing the absence of issues of religious justice with issues of power and women’s leadership from major Jewish communal to start working for the redistribution of power and organizations, and those working on a host of social resources within the Jewish comm~tyand in the and political issues, from racism to poverty to the larger society. rights of Palestinians. Even where some of the same people have been active around these different ques- Judith Pliaskow is Professor of Religious Studies at Man- tions, there has been strangely little cross-fertilization hattan College. A longtime Jewish feminist activist, she is in terms of analysis and strategies. author ofstanding Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Femi- I cannot speak for the secular side, but I think the nist Perspective. Sh‘ma January2000 Sh’ma asked several Jewish professionals and lay leaders to comment on how feminism will transform Judaism in the next decade, and to name the questions we should be asking. ost Jewish feminists are no longer 7) When will women’s intentions right methodology on the wrong issues. Masking ”What” or ”Why” ques- and motivations - in forming ”Driving to shul on Shabbat” does not tions. We know what’s wrong and why tefillah groups, davening at the foster observant stands of enormous and we’re sick and fired of having to Western Wall, assurning a greater moral significcance. Now we may see a restate and restudy the evidence of pa- role in ritual - be assumed to be genuinely halachic community struggle triarchy in the Jewishworld. Nowadays as authentic and honorable as the with the agunah or with women’s legiti- we’re asking ”When” questions be- motivations and intentions of mate desire to express their souls through cause time is running out. If the orga- men? communal religious leadership. Now we nized Jewish community really wants 8) When will the masculinization of may witness firsthand what happens to keep smart, talented women in the Jewish organizational life arouse when a commmty asserts that although fold - not just for the sake of their chil- as much alarm in the Jewish me- the entire halachah commands us, tradi- dren but for the collective good - then dia as the feminization of the tional texts cannot be absolute, imperme- our grievances, large and small, reli- synagogue? able boundaries that exclude the voices gious and communal, must be ad- 9) When will the term ”Jewish Prin- of conscience. Our sages waged this dressed. For instance: cess” - embodying both mi- battle before, and our Jewish world des- When will women’s issues be- sogyny and anti-Semitism - be perately needs to witness it again. If we come top priorities in the com- considered as offensive as ”kike” are fortunate, it will be said that it was munity - and get the budgets to (the male version of the insult)? feminism that brought that sacred prove it? 10) When will people stop laughing struggle back to life. When will an equal number of at ”Jewish mother” jokes and let women be named to every Jew- the caricature be retired from the Daniel Gordis’ most recent book is Be- ish board, delegation, and confer- culture for good? coming a Jewish Parent: How To Ex- ence panel? plore Spirituality and Tradition with When will female leaders be hon- Letty CottinPopbin is the author @eight Your Children. He is now working on a ored at testimonial dinners - not books, including Deborah, Golda, and Me: book on thefate of Conservative Judaism. lunches - given what such kavod Being Female and Jewish in America, and symbolizes? Getting Over Getting Older. When will men show up in large numbers at events that feature a e must make our tzedakah reflect woman speaker? (Do they really our values. None of 11s has funds think they have nothing to learn espite manifold contributions to to give indiscriminately. Therefore, we from us?) Ddate, Jewish feminism has much to must ask substantive questions of the When will men assume more still offer -including the capacity to save organizations and institutions that ask household responsibilities to Orthodoxy. The feminist tensions that for our money and ensure that their ide- match women having assumed emerged in ConservativeJudaism a gen- als match ours. What questions should more wage-earning responsibili- eration ago now simmer within Orthe we ask? Does this organization reflect ties? (memo to Jewish continuity doxy, but with a major diffemce. Because my feminist values? Are women repre- experts: Don’t expect us to have the conflict is now located in a seriously sented fairly in terms of management more children until the domestic halachiccommunity,feminismmayfinally and board positions? Is there a reason- burden is shared.) restore to orthodoxy the authentic tension able maternity leave policy? Are oppor- When will women be allowed to between autonomy and heteronomy that tunities for flex-time or part-time work practice Judaism without need- someofusbelievecharacterizedhalachahh available?Are women afforded salaries, ing men’s permission to fully ex- its most ma@cent moments. benefits, and advancements commen- press our spiritual and religious Conservative Judaism tried, but it surate to men? If an organization devotion? wasn’t a halachic comm~ty.It was the doesn’t meet our ideals, we should tell Sh’ma January2000 0 http:/ /www.shma.com the solicitor of funds why, in principle, existence in the Jewish community for women, whose questions have in- we are not giving money. better or worse. My partner and I ap- spired growth and flexibility in the Just as we use our gender lens to pear to be the same as everyone else, tradition. evaluate organizations and decide while Sue seems odd, strange, queer, The single area where there has where to give our tzedakak, so must we because her sexuality isn’t chan- been scant attention and little change direct OUT giving to those projects, or- neled within the confines of the fam- is in the area of kalackak -Jewish law. ganizations, and institutions that ily and because she assumes certain Until recently, feminists found the strengthen the status of Jewish girls male prerogatives.
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