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A Case Study of Language Use in Jewish Feminist Worship

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A Case Study of Language Use in Jewish Feminist Worship Englander Bringing Practice to Theory: A Case Study of Language Use in Jewish Feminist Worship by Karen Englander "It is in this everyday world that I curt certain ideas and theories matter, because with each dirty dish that I wash as I talk and listen, I experience how they affect my life. " -- Irena Klepfisz Feminism has affected North One phenomenon has been the American religious practice for three creation of feminist women's only decades, and as a result, the language of groups. These groups are formed by worship is being transformed. Practices women from different denominations in Judaism are no exception. While (typically Conservative, Reform, neither feminism nor Judaism is Reconstructionist and non-affiliated) who monolithic, the impact of the former on meet together to explore Judaism and the latter is demonstrable. The more worship as feminists. liberal denominations (Recontructionist, Feminist activists "frequently... Reform, and Conservative) now accept pursue two related goals - the privileging women as leaders and rabbis within of previously silenced voices and the congregational life and so previously transforming of dominant representations silenced and marginalized voices are now that reproduce systemic inequalities" heard. Although Orthodoxy and (Ashcraft 3). This paper presents a case Hassidism still offer women no such public study of the worship of one Jewish role, "there is no going back on the feminist feminist group during one weekend revolution" (Greenberg qtd. in retreat in which I was a participant. The Umansky 207). Several scholars have two feminist goals of voicing and outlined the impact of feminist thought transforming are reflected in the language on the different Jewish denominations of worship. Feminist theory and dialogic (e.g. Peskowitz & Levitt, Umansky). construction interact on this occasion to Jewish feminists have also produced manifest those feminist goals. "Language important books of critique (Adler, is not property of the individual, but of Heschel, Plaskow), re-interpretations of the community" (Labov 52) and so sacred texts (Frankel, Goldstein, language as it is used in this particular Gottlieb) and guides for whole new community is the focus of this rituals (Adelman, Berrin). However, little investigation. Language - who speaks, has been written which explores how what is said, and who determines these Jewish feminists actually use these new things - is examined as voice and insights. transformation. Karen Englander is a Professor at Autonomous University of Baja California, Mexico. WILLA 2004, Volume XIII 24 The Case: Jewish Women's Center of group had created each prayerbook and Pittsburgh made copies for us. Jewish feminists who comprise Despite the existence of the the Jewish Women's Center (JWC) of prayerbook, it was not wholly followed, Pittsburgh have been meeting for ten as can be seen in the following 1 years, The JWC, like other Jewish instruction from Clara who lead the feminist groups, is not affiliated with any Saturday morning Shabbat worship. denomination within Judaism. Because it As we gathered after breakfast, Clara is outside the sanctions of mainstream said, "So what I was thinking we could Judaism, the members hold a special social do with the service this morning is, as a identity and they come together as a community, make our service." She community of practice. Eight women, divided us into two groups and each was including me, came together one to be responsible for half the service. To weekend in October, 2002, to engage with do so, we followed Clara's instruction, Judaism. They agreed to allow me to tape- "incorporate some of [our] values into record our activities and participate in the how we do the service this morning." She weekend's events as a case study. Three had prepared a prayerbook, but she told religious services were held: us, "you don't have to use it. You can Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat, pick some of the things to use, you can Saturday Shabbat morning service, add other things that you want, you can and Saturday Shabbat evening service. take out; whatever you want to do... ." No rabbi or other sanctioned leader was Clara brought prayerbooks which present, only us as Jews and feminists, adhere to the traditional structure of the among our other identities in our Sabbath morning service including professional and familial lives. feminist renderings of those traditional Constructing Worship elements. Nonetheless, she informed us Each worship service is that the prayerbook was not to be viewed conducted with its own photocopied as fixed. We were to "pick some", "add "prayerbook," which consists of a dozen other things" or "take out" from that or so pages containing songs, drawings, which was therein. Clara was asking us to decorative designs, prayers (in English fundamentally follow these questions: and Hebrew), and meditative and "What does it mean to honor a text as informative texts. The end pages in the sacred... What is the effect of a Sabbath morning and evening worshipful stance? Does it open the doors prayerbooks contain a list of citations of to wisdom -- or close the doors to some of the texts within. Women writers, rabbis, our truths?" (JWC morning service, poets, and artists from disparate times unpaginated). and geographic locations contribute to In fact, when we reconvened our the worship. The language of the two groups to continue the morning prayerbook is not anonymous - as service, we had already spoken deeply prayerbooks so often are, and where that about the content of the prayers and anonimity lends an aura of truth and service, added our own commentary, immutability - instead, it is a social eliminated some text, and identified construction via a collection of traditional and women's voices. One member of the _______________________ 1This and all other participants’ names are pseudonyms WILLA 2004, Volume XIII 25 Englander consistent with Judith Plaskow's songs to sing. The group I hadn't been injunction that "we must render visible part of chose to open the formal worship the presence, experience and deeds of service by looldng at and discussing a women erased in the traditional sources" piece of artwork that was on the back (28). page of our prayerbook. And so we did, Another blessing in the JWC much like the ancient rabbis said, "Turn it prayerbook reads, in part: (the Torah], and turn it, for everything is in it" (Sayings of the Fathers V:26), but "May God bless you we also found that "not all is in it. We With the strength and vision of Sarah, find we have more to add" (JWC With the wisdom and foresight of morning service). Rebecca, With the courage and compassion of Rachel, Naming History/Herstory The notion of naming has deep With the gentleness and graciousness of significance for Judaism and for Leah." feminism. Judaism understands that the In this case, the biblical women are called events from the past are not simply upon as exemplars, furthering the notion history, but have importance for the that supplementing the prayers with contemporary era of each generation. women's stories makes the connection Because the power of the past shapes the between the past and the present real for present, naming our biblical predecessors worshippers today. Through the prayer, is an integral part of worship. A prayer of we are attempting to fulfill another traditional Sabbath services begins: supplication, "Refine our appreciation of the "Praised be thou, 0 Lord, God of our models who preceded us" (Agus, fathers, God of Abraham, Isaac and unpaginated). Jacob... ." Reference specifically to Jewish Feminists have pointed out that women's contributions in history occurs God is not only a God of our fathers but in the evening Sabbath prayerbook where also our mothers. God is not only the God five women are named who died during of the patriarchs, but also the that month in previous years, including matriarchs. Thus we read in the JWC Rachel, the biblical wife of Jacob; Rachel Sabbath morning service, "Blessed are Yanit Ben-Tzvi, founder of Israel's You, God of our mothers Sarah, Rebecca women's labor movement; and Anzia and Rachel, and God of our fathers, Yezierska, an American novelist of the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob2.." This is early 20th century, A feminist critique of ______________________ traditional Judaism points out that "the 2 recording of Jewish pasts has transmitted The inclusive language which is the texts and experiences of male authors discussed, in some cases, can also be and actors" (Peskowitz 22). The JWC found in the congregational prayer books prayerbook engages in the important task of the principle denominations which have of recovering and honoring Jewish been issued since the 1970s. women's history. However my interest here is to examine God is spoken of in new terms as the JWC prayerbook in light of more well in the JWC prayerbooks. Instead of traditional observance as a reflection of how feminist women pray together. WILLA 2004, Volume XIII 26 referring to God as Lord, Almighty, King this, a homemade thing." We continue to and Father which denote maleness and add to each new experience, in part, by domination, God is called The Eternal, or including meaningful elements from simply You. God is attributed with previous ones, creating a new legacy for feminine qualities. For example, the feminists. prayerbook says, "Yours are the cradling In the context of worship, we Arms of our life and the Womb of our have not only a listener in God, but we safe deliverance" (JWC morning service, listen to each other, and respond. There is 16), which is distinct from a traditional a line in a piece of the liturgy that reads prayer which reads, "Thou art the that we "shall keep the Sabbath, observe Strength of our Life and our saving it in a way which befits each person's Shield" (Birnbaum 356).
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