Metoo & Torah: Feminist Judaism

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Metoo & Torah: Feminist Judaism Congregation Tifereth Israel 2019/5779 Scholar-in-Residence Weekend #metoo & Torah: Feminist Judaism January 25-27, 2019 featuring Drs. Judith Plaskow & Martha Ackelsberg “I am not a Jew in the synagogue and a feminist in the world. I am a Jewish feminist and a feminist Jew in every moment of my life.” – Judith Plaskow Women of the Wall Solidarity Minyan Sunday, May 5, 2019 Save Rosh Chodesh Iyar the Franklin Park Conservatory Sponsored by the Tifereth Israel Sisterhood Date All members of the Columbus community welcome Sushi & Sake Saturday, February 9 7:15 pm $36/person • $20/30 & under • $20/65 & over Trivia • Cash Raffle • Karaoke Sushi • Hot Food Bar • Roll-Your-Own Sushi RSVP: bit.ly/CTISushiSake2019 Co-sponsored by the Tifereth Israel Sisterhood All are welcome Raffle proceeds to benefit the Mid-Ohio Food Bank Friday, January 25 Friday Evening Service 6:00 pm Shabbat Dinner & Discussion (by reservation) 7:15 pm #metoo & Torah: Judaism & Feminism in 2019 The #metoo movement that has roiled the country in the last year has also pointed the finger at some major figures in the Jewish community. Fifty years down the road from the beginnings of Jewish feminism, how can this be? How have various communities responded? What would it mean to create a community in which harassment is unthinkable? What might constitute genuine teshuvah for perpetrators, victims and the community? Saturday, January 26 Shabbat Morning Services 9:30 am Sermon by Dr. Judith Plaskow & Haftarah and introduction by Dr. Martha Ackelsberg Kiddush & Learning 12:30 pm Jews and God-talk: The Promise of Jewish Feminist Theology Jews often have great difficulty in talking about God. Many Jews have given up their childhood understanding of God without having anything to replace it. The session will look at the ways Jewish feminism has challenged Jewish God-talk and explore images and concepts that participants find enlivening or problematic. Free and open to the public. No reservations required. Sponsors-Only Wine & Cheese Reception 6:45 pm Community Havdalah 7:30 pm Dessert & Panel Discussion 7:45 pm Keep On Keeping On: Fifty Years of Jewish Feminist Revolution Drs. Plaskow and Ackelsberg were each involved in the early years of the 1970’s feminist movement, and were key figures in the birth of Jewish feminism as well as in its subsequent history. This moderated discussion will explore what has changed over the last 50 years, what issues remain to be dealt with, and lessons they have drawn from their experiences. Free and open to the public. No reservations required. Sunday, January 27 Tifereth Israel Hebrew High School Program 10:00 am Judaism and Feminism: The Next Generation Drs. Plaskow and Ackelsberg will talk about why Jewish feminism felt so urgent when it began almost fifty years ago, what has changed, and what remains to be dealt with. What are the issues facing a new generation? Free and open to all Columbus teens. Dinner, Drinks & Drash Dinner & Drinks @ 6:00 pm I Drash @ 6:30 pm Schmooze over a FREE dinner and drinks, followed by discussion and learning. RSVP to: bit.lyCTIDinnerDrinksDrash5799 Wednesday, February 13 What Israel Means to Me Rabbi Hillel Skolnik, Rabbi Harold Berman, and Emily Kandel of AIPAC Sponsorship by: Diane & Pete Stahl in honor of the clergy and staff of Tifereth Israel. Wednesday, February 27 Hebrew Poets Talk About God Dr. Adena Tanenbaum, Melton Center for Jewish Studies at OSU Sponsored by: Alice & Barry Levitin in memory of Alice's parents, Hanna & Paul Fleischmann To sponsor a night of learning, contact Joy at 614-928-3291 or [email protected]. 5779/2019 Congregation Tifereth Israel Scholars in Residence Dr. Judith Plaskow is professor emerita of religious studies at Manhattan College and a Jewish feminist theologian who has been teaching, writing and speaking about Jewish feminism and feminist studies in religion since the early 1970s. She was a speaker at the first Jewish Feminist Conference in February 1973 and co- founded the Jewish feminist spirituality collective B’not Esh, which has been meeting for thirty-seven years. Co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, she is author or editor of several works in feminist theology. These include Womanist Rising: A Feminist Reader in Religion and Weaving the Visions: New Patterns in Feminist Spirituality, both co-edited with Carol P. Christ; Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective and The Coming of Lilith: Essays on Feminism, Judaism, and Sexual Ethics 1972-2003. Her latest book, Goddess and God in the World: Conversations in Embodied Theology, is co- authored with Carol P. Christ. Now in retirement, she is working on a project on bodies, toilets, and social justice — in addition to singing in a chorus, hanging out with her granddaughter, being involved in Congregation B’nai Jeshurun and serving on the board of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. Dr. Martha Ackelsberg is a long-time Jewish feminist activist and a founding member of Ezrat Nashim and of Bnot Esh. She has engaged in writing, speaking and various forms of activism to address issues of feminism and LGBT inclusion within the Jewish community. As the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Government and of the Study of Women and Gender at Smith College, her teaching focused on women’s activism, feminist and democratic theory, and community politics; while at Smith, she also sang in a local peace and justice chorus, and served on the Northampton Housing Partnership, to promote affordable housing. In addition to numerous articles and book chapters, she is author of Free Women of Spain: Anarchism and the Struggle for the Emancipation of Women (AK Press, 2005) and of Resisting Citizenship: Feminist Essays on Politics, Community and Democracy (Routledge, 2009). She is now retired and living in NY, still singing in a chorus, enjoying regular time with her granddaughter, and devoting energies to addressing racism and white supremacy in the Jewish community and beyond. The Installation Weekend of Rabbi Hillel Skolnik april 5-7, 2019 the lineup Friday, April 5 Friday Evening Service 6:00 pm Congregational Shabbat Dinner 7:15 pm $36/adult, $10/child (10 & under), $90/ family max. RSVP online at: bit.ly/RabbiHillelInstallationWeekend Saturday, April 6 Shabbat Morning Services 9:30 am Kiddush Luncheon 12:30 pm Honoring Rabbi Hillel Skolnik and his Family Sunday, April 7 Morning Minyan 9:00 am Save Installation 10:30 am Celebration Reception 11:30 am the Clippers Game @ Huntington Park 2:05 pm Dates Admission is free. Seating is limited. Watch for Details sponsorship opportunities available • Sponsor levels ranging from $250 to $25,000 • Tribute journal ads from $54 (name listing) to $500 (full page) • Register online at: bit.ly/RabbiHillelInstallationWeekend For more information, contact Program Director Rebecca Haimowitz-King at [email protected] or 614-928-3287. Congregation Tifereth Israel 5779/2019 Scholar-in-Residence Weekend Event Co-Chairs Jonathan Branfman Susan Gellman Martha Tepper Jewish Learning Committee Co-Chairs Cathy Levine Elizabeth Sherowski Sponsors Ruth: the Righteous One Jack Gold & Jeff Griss Cathy Levine & Jon Groner Jan Lyddon & Bruce McComb Susan & Frank Mott Deborah: the Judge Susan Gellman & Cantor Jack Chomsky Martha & Bennett Tepper Miriam: the Prophet Beth & Rabbi Harold Berman Rabbi Alex Braver & Alex Weisler Wendy & Robert Cohen Corinne & Jeff Covel Rebecca Gurk & Stuart Mangel Emily & Barry Hindin Helen & Michael Miller Lisa Newmark & Dr. Arnold Good Marsha & L. Robert Polster Debra & Martin Rosenthal Rabbis Sharon & Hillel Skolnik Diane & Peter Stahl Judy & Jack Yalowich Sarah: the Matriarch Susan & Bradley Blair Theodore Borkin Sharon Eisenberg Carole & Nelson Genshaft Alison & Jeffrey Merzel Leslie Rosen Donna & Ronald Solove Lola Steinhart Jill & Fredric Winer Jerilyn Wolman 2019 Scholar-in Residence Weekend Media Sponsor: Inclusion Tifereth Israel is an open and accepting community for all Jews and their loved ones, and we strive to embrace both Jewish and non-Jewish family members alike. We are committed to creating an egalitarian environment that is actively welcoming to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and physical or mental disability. No one is ever turned away due to financial hardship. Have questions about all that Congregation Tifereth Israel has to offer or interested in arranging a visit? Please contact a member of our leadership team or Member Liaison Joy Contreras at 614-928-3291 or [email protected]. 1354 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43205 614-253-8523 • tiferethisrael.org • [email protected] fb.com/cticbus instagram.com/tiferethisrael Rabbi Hillel Skolnik Rabbi Alex Braver Cantor Jack Chomsky Rabbi Emeritus Harold Berman.
Recommended publications
  • 2020 21 Course Catalogue
    202021 COURSE CATALOGUE 1299 Church Road, Wyncote, Pa. 215.576.0800 RRC.edu Table of Contents I. THE RECONSTRUCTIONIST RABBINICAL COLLEGE .................................................................................... 4 Mission and Vision Statements ..................................................................................................................... 4 RRC: Our Academic Philosophy and Program ............................................................................................... 4 The Reconstructionist Movement: Intellectual Origins ................................................................................ 6 II. FACULTY .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Emeritus Faculty ............................................................................................................................................ 8 III. DEGREE PROGRAMS AND ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................... 9 Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters and Title of Rabbi .................................................................................... 9 Requests for Credit for Independent Study at RRC .................................................................................... 14 Learning Opportunities Outside of RRC, Including Transfer of Credit Policy .............................................. 14 Applying for Exemption from Requirements While at RRC .......................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Subcultures Online: Outreach, Dating, and Marginalized Communities ______
    JEWISH SUBCULTURES ONLINE: OUTREACH, DATING, AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ____________________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Fullerton ____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in American Studies ____________________________________ By Rachel Sara Schiff Thesis Committee Approval: Professor Leila Zenderland, Chair Professor Terri Snyder, Department of American Studies Professor Carrie Lane, Department of American Studies Spring, 2016 ABSTRACT This thesis explores how Jewish individuals use and create communities online to enrich their Jewish identity. The Internet provides Jews who do not fit within their brick and mortar communities an outlet that gives them voice, power, and sometimes anonymity. They use these websites to balance their Jewish identities and other personal identities that may or may not fit within their local Jewish community. This research was conducted through analyzing a broad range of websites. The first chapter, the introduction, describes the Jewish American population as a whole as well as the history of the Internet. The second chapter, entitled “The Black Hats of the Internet,” discusses how the Orthodox community has used the Internet to create a modern approach to outreach. It focuses in particular on the extensive web materials created by Chabad and Aish Hatorah, which offer surprisingly modern twists on traditional texts. The third chapter is about Jewish online dating. It uses JDate and other secular websites to analyze how Jewish singles are using the Internet. This chapter also suggests that the use of the Internet may have an impact on reducing interfaith marriage. The fourth chapter examines marginalized communities, focusing on the following: Jewrotica; the Jewish LGBT community including those who are “OLGBT” (Orthodox LGBT); Punk Jews; and feminist Jews.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tifereth Israel
    THE TIFERETH ISRAEL January/FebruaryFORUM 2019 | Teiveit/Sh’vat/Adar I 5779 Tu Bishvat: The Birthday of the Trees Monday, January 21, 2019 Inclusion Shabbat Shabbat Service Schedule Jan. 4 & Feb. 1 I 7:30 pm I Katz Chapel Va’era January 4-5/28 Teiveit A warm and meaningful Kabbalat Friday Evening Service 6:00 pm Shabbat for people and families with Inclusion Shabbat 7:30 pm special needs. All are welcome. For more Shabbat Warmup – ShabbaTunes 9:00 am information, contact Helen Miller at Shabbat Morning Service 9:30 am 614-236-4764. Young Peoples’ Synagogue 10:30 am Boker Tov Shabbat 11:00 am Bo January 11-12/6 Sh’vat Boker Tov Shabbat Friday Evening Service 6:00 pm Jan. 5 & Feb. 2 I 11:00 am I Katz Chapel Shabbat Warmup – Torah Talks Parsha Study 9:00 am A special Shabbat celebration for children Shabbat Morning Service - Gabrielle Schiff, bat mitzvah 9:30 am up to age 5 and their grown-ups. For more Young Peoples’ Synagogue 10:30 am information, contact Morgan at 614-928- 3286 or [email protected]. B’shalach - Anniversary Shabbat January 18-19/13 Sh’vat Wine & Cheese Oneg 5:30 pm Shabbat Neshamah: Friday Evening Musical Mindfulness Service 6:00 pm Shabbat Neshamah Shabbat Warmup – Shabbat Stretch: Light Yoga & Mindfulness 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Service - Shabbat Shira & Chelsea Wasserstrom, 9:30 am Jan. 18 & Feb. 15 I 6:00 pm I Katz Chapel bat mitzvah Nurture your spirit with Kabbalat Young Peoples’ Synagogue 10:30 am Shabbat. We start getting in the Shabbat mood in the Atrium at 5:30 pm with some Yitro - Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat January 25-26/20 Sh’vat wine and cheese, generously sponsored Friday Evening Service 6:00 pm by Fran & Steve Lesser, before moving Shabbat Dinner - by reservation 7:15 pm into the chapel for a service filled with Shabbat Warmup – Mah Chadash: What's News in Israel 9:00 am Shabbat Morning Service - sermon by Scholar in Residence 9:30 am singing, poetry, prayer, and meditation.
    [Show full text]
  • Is Judaism 'Sex Positive?'
    Is Judaism ‘Sex Positive?’ Understanding Trends in Recent Jewish Sexual Ethics Rebecca Epstein-Levi Introduction hen I tell people that I am a scholar of Jewish sexual eth- Wics, I am sometimes asked just what Judaism has to say about the matter. I usually give the unhelpful academic refrain of “well, it’s complicated…” or I tell the well-worn joke about “two Jews, three opinions.” The fact of the matter is that Jewish thinking on sexual ethics, as with most other things, is conten- tious, multivocal, and often contradictory. However, there are actually two levels on which this question operates. The first level is what the multiplicity of classical Jewish traditions have offered directly on matters of sexual conduct—what “Judaism says about sex.” The second level is the way modern and con- temporary thinkers have presented classical sources on sex and sexuality—what “Jewish thinkers say Judaism says about sex.” In the past seventy years or so, as the academic study of Jewish ethics has gained an institutional foothold and as rab- bis and Jewish public intellectuals have had to grapple with changes in public sexual mores and with the increasing reach of popular media, both of these levels of the question have, at least in Jewish thought in the U.S. and Canada, exhibited some clear trends. Here, I offer an analysis and a critique of these trends, especially in academic Jewish sexual ethics as it cur- rently stands, and suggest some directions for its future growth. I organize literature in modern and contemporary Jewish sexual ethics according to a typology of “cautious” versus “ex- pansive,” a typology which does not fall neatly along denomi- 14 Is Judaism ‘Sex Positive?’ national lines.
    [Show full text]
  • Sexuality in Jewish Terms
    Danya Ruttenberg, ed.. The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism. New York: New York University Press, 2009. ix + 294 pp. $19.95, paper, ISBN 978-0-8147-7605-6. Reviewed by Evyatar Marienberg Published on H-Judaic (January, 2011) Commissioned by Jason Kalman (Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion) The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism is a articles assembled in her volume express the delightful book. As with any publication com‐ same balanced opinion. prised of articles by various authors, not all parts Sarra Lev’s article “Sotah: Rabbinic Pornogra‐ can be honestly considered of equal importance phy?” is a remarkable analysis of the rabbinical or quality by any reader. Nevertheless, the writer description of the ritual performed on a woman of this review--who considers himself more or less suspected of unfaithfulness to her husband. Al‐ conversant in the study of Judaism and sexuality though Lev hints at the fact, and scholars such as (and who, by the way, does not know the volume’s Ishay Rosen-Zvi showed, that this ritual is proba‐ editor or the vast majority of contributors)--found bly an imaginary construct of the rabbis (using an the majority of the contributions to be, on his sub‐ actual biblical text), for readers of the Mishnah jective scale, between good and superb. for close to two millennia, the ritual was very The short introduction by Ruttenberg is a nice real. Lev, using fascinating insights from studies piece by itself. It shows clearly her intention to of pornography, forcefully shows that the text is a avoid producing yet another one-sided book on sad example of a literary pornographic descrip‐ sexuality in Judaism, in which Jewish stance on tion of an imaginary public rape--not less--pro‐ the matter is presented as simple and, not surpris‐ duced by men for consumption by men.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender in Jewish Studies
    Gender in Jewish Studies Proceedings of the Sherman Conversations 2017 Volume 13 (2019) GUEST EDITOR Katja Stuerzenhofecker & Renate Smithuis ASSISTANT EDITOR Lawrence Rabone A publication of the Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. Co-published by © University of Manchester, UK. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this volume may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher, the University of Manchester, and the co-publisher, Gorgias Press LLC. All inquiries should be addressed to the Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Manchester (email: [email protected]). Co-Published by Gorgias Press LLC 954 River Road Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA Internet: www.gorgiaspress.com Email: [email protected] ISBN 978-1-4632-4056-1 ISSN 1759-1953 This volume is printed on acid-free paper that meets the American National Standard for Permanence of paper for Printed Library Materials. Printed in the United States of America Melilah: Manchester Journal of Jewish Studies is distributed electronically free of charge at www.melilahjournal.org Melilah is an interdisciplinary Open Access journal available in both electronic and book form concerned with Jewish law, history, literature, religion, culture and thought in the ancient, medieval and modern eras. Melilah: A Volume of Studies was founded by Edward Robertson and Meir Wallenstein, and published (in Hebrew) by Manchester University Press from 1944 to 1955. Five substantial volumes were produced before the series was discontinued; these are now available online.
    [Show full text]
  • L1teracy As the Creation of Personal Meaning in the Lives of a Select Group of Hassidic Women in Quebec
    WOMEN OF VALOUR: L1TERACY AS THE CREATION OF PERSONAL MEANING IN THE LIVES OF A SELECT GROUP OF HASSIDIC WOMEN IN QUEBEC by Sharyn Weinstein Sepinwall The Department of Integrated Studies in Education A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research , in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education Faculty of Education McGiII University National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 canada Canada Our fie Notre réIérfInœ The author bas granted a non­ L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library ofCanada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies ofthis thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur fonnat électronique. The author retains ownership ofthe L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son pemnsslOn. autorisation. 0-612-78770-2 Canada Women of Valour: Literacy as the Creation of Personal Meaning in the Lives of a Select Group of Hassidic Women in Quebec Sharyn Weinstein Sepinwall 11 Acknowledgments One of my colleagues at McGiII in the Faculty of Management was fond of saying "writing a dissertation should change your life." Her own dissertation had been reviewed in the Wall Street Journal and its subsequent acclaim had indeed, 1surmised, changed her life.
    [Show full text]
  • Ebook Download Standing Again at Sinai Judaism from a Feminist
    STANDING AGAIN AT SINAI JUDAISM FROM A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Judith Plaskow | --- | --- | --- | 9780060666842 | --- | --- Standing Again at Sinai Judaism from a Feminist Perspective 1st edition PDF Book Rachel rated it really liked it Nov 05, Oct 27, Katherine Stanley rated it it was amazing Shelves: feminism , judaism , theology , non-fiction. She wonders whether a system based on law can be harmonized with a feminist emphasis on relationship and whether the rigidity and abstractness of the traditional The legal corpus of Jewish laws and observances as prescribed in the Torah and interpreted by rabbinic authorities, beginning with those of the Mishnah and Talmud. No trivia or quizzes yet. Reading this book, aspects of my childhood and young adult experience of Judaism suddenly make sense in ways they never did before. Student presentations on readings begin the second week of class, and will be scheduled during the first week. Jewish canonical texts were written by men for a male audience, and until the contemporary era, the centuries-long conversation interpreting these texts took place entirely among men. She wants a thoroughgoing and ideological revamping of the whole shebang, and she makes it sound both possible and impossibly far-reaching. Not only does their writing profoundly challenge traditional understandings of authority, but it also explores and extends problems of authority, law, God, and human selfhood that are central to liberal Judaism. Categories :. It's so easy to reject and disengage from a tradition once you realize how much dirty laundry it has. I particularly liked how Plaskow added [sic] after writers she quotes refer to God as 'he' or use 'he' or 'man' to refer to the whole of humanity.
    [Show full text]
  • The Emergence of a Jewish-Feminist Spirituality
    Sacred Heart University Review Volume 12 Issue 1 Sacred Heart University Review, Volume XII, Article 6 Numbers 1 & 2, Fall 1991/ Spring 1992 February 2010 The meE rgence of a Jewish-Feminist Spirituality Michael F. Drummy Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/shureview Recommended Citation Drummy, Michael F. (2010) "The meE rgence of a Jewish-Feminist Spirituality," Sacred Heart University Review: Vol. 12 : Iss. 1 , Article 6. Available at: http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/shureview/vol12/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the SHU Press Publications at DigitalCommons@SHU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sacred Heart University Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@SHU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The meE rgence of a Jewish-Feminist Spirituality Cover Page Footnote Michael F. Drummy is a graduate student in the Religious Studies program at Sacred Heart University. This article is available in Sacred Heart University Review: http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/shureview/vol12/iss1/6 Drummy: The Emergence of a Jewish-Feminist Spirituality MICHAEL F. DRUMMY The Emergence of a Jewish-Feminist Spirituality* Recent books and articles by Jewish-feminist authors have helped to lay the groundwork for important breakthroughs in contemporary Jewish spirituality. Women such as Rachel Adler, Susannah Heschel, Marcia Falk, Ellen Umansky, Judith Plaskow, Rita M. Gross, and Tamar Frankiel have attempted to introduce into the traditions of Jewish life, culture, and law new ways of relating to God, self, and others, based primarily on their involve-ment with and understanding of contemporary feminist thought.
    [Show full text]
  • Opening the Torah to Women: the Transformation of Tradition
    Opening the Torah to Women: The Transformation of Tradition Women are a people by themselves -Talmud: Shabbat 62a Traditional Judaism believes that both men and women have differentiated and distinct roles delegated through the Torah. A man’s role is focused on positive time-bound mitzvot (commandments), which include but are not limited to, daily praying, wrapping tefillin and putting on a tallit; whereas a women’s role and mitzvot are not time bound and include lighting Shabbat candles, separating a piece of challah for G-d on Shabbat, and the laws of Niddah (menstruation purity). 1 Orthodox Judaism views the separate roles of men and women as a valued and crucial aspect of Jewish life and law, whereas Jewish feminism and more reform branches of Judaism believe these distinctions between men and women are representative of sexual discrimination and unequal opportunity in Judaism. The creation of the Reform and Conservative movement in the late 1800s paved the way for the rise of the Jewish feminist movement in the 1970s, which re-evaluated the classical Jewish texts and halakha (Jewish law) in relation to the role of women in Judaism. Due to Judaism’s ability to evolve and change throughout time, women associated with different Jewish denominations have been able to create their own place within Judaism while also maintaining the traditional aspects of Judaism in order to find a place which connects them most to their religiosity and femininity as modern Jewish women. In Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), there is a teaching that states that when each soul is created it contains both a female and male soul.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rebbetzin Jana Gottshall Memorial Library
    The Rebbetzin Jana Gottshall Memorial Library Catalogue May 2013 Author Book Title Abdo, Nahla Women in Israel: Race, Gender and Citizenship Abrahams, Louis B. A Manual of Scripture History for Use in Jewish Schools and Families Abrams, Jeanne Jewish Women Pioneering the Frontier Trail Ackerman, Susan Warrior, Dancer, Seductress, Queen Adelman, Penina (ed) Praise Her Works Agosin, Marjorie (ed) Passion, Memory and Identity Agosin, Marjorie (ed) A Sea of Voices Agosin, Marjorie (ed) The House of Memory Aguilar, Grace The Women of Israel, vol.1 Aguilar, Grace The Women of Israel, vol.2 Aguilar,Grace The Women of Israel or Characters and Sketches from the Holy Scriptures ... (2 copies) Alteras, Lea Three Generations of Jewish Women Anisfeld, Rabbi Sharon Cohen The Women's Passover Companion Appel, Allen To Life: 36 Stories of Memory and Hope Armstrong, Diane Mosaic Armstrong, Diane Voyage of their Life Azmon and Izraeli (eds) Women in Israel Baskin, Judith Women of the Word Baskin,Judith Jewish Women in Historical Perspective Belzer and Pelc (eds) Joining the Sisterhood Benson, Evelyn As We See Ourselves Biale, Rachel Women and Jewish law Bilski and Braun (eds) Jewish Women and their Salons Boehling and Larkey Life and Loss in the Shadow of the Holocaust Bonyhady, Tim Good Living Street - Portrait of a Patron Family, Vienna 1900 Boyarin, Itzkovitz and Pellegrini (eds) Queer Theory and the Jewish Question Brett, Lily In Full View Buxbaum, Yitzhak Jewish Tales of Holy Women (2 copies) Cantor, Aviva Jewish Women, Jewish Men Chessler and Haut
    [Show full text]