http://blog.jofa.org/2010/01/a-spark-of-inspiration/ Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:07:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://blog.jofa.org/2010/01/a-spark-of-inspiration/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Laura Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:09:41 +0000 http://blog.jofa.org/?p=66#comment-28 I am a faculty member in an day school that is a bit of a "hybrid" between Orthodox and community school. One of the greatest blessings of my job is that the administration of my school has always welcomed and encouraged my discussion of Jewish feminist topics in my classes. My affiliation with JOFA is seen as an honor, not a liability. Interestingly, my head of school is from a haredi background, and still basically affiliates herself with a haredi community. She is a brilliant woman and an exceptionally broad thinker and she understands that the clientele in our classrooms will not be satisfied by more traditional Orthodox polemics regarding women's role. I have found that my students are far more attached to their Judaism and to taking an active role in their Jewish communities as adults when they feel their questions and concerns are answered with honesty and forthrightness. I am a faculty member in an day school that is a bit of a “hybrid” between Orthodox and community school. One of the greatest blessings of my job is that the administration of my school has always welcomed and encouraged my discussion of Jewish feminist topics in my classes. My affiliation with JOFA is seen as an honor, not a liability. Interestingly, my head of school is from a haredi background, and still basically affiliates herself with a haredi community. She is a brilliant woman and an exceptionally broad thinker and she understands that the clientele in our classrooms will not be satisfied by more traditional Orthodox polemics regarding women’s role. I have found that my students are far more attached to their Judaism and to taking an active role in their Jewish communities as adults when they feel their questions and concerns are answered with honesty and forthrightness.

]]> http://blog.jofa.org/2010/01/a-spark-of-inspiration/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Amanda Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:34:56 +0000 http://blog.jofa.org/?p=66#comment-27 My experience as a parent in the Orthodox day school world has also been--thankfully--pretty uneventful. Interestingly, my experience religiously as a faculty member in an Orthodox day school has been more difficult. Things like partnership minyanim, and even affiliation with JOFA, are still seen as pretty radical, and not within mainstream Orthodoxy. This is frustrating and marginalizing. Does anyone feel they have similar experiences in their Orthodox communities? My experience as a parent in the Orthodox day school world has also been–thankfully–pretty uneventful. Interestingly, my experience religiously as a faculty member in an Orthodox day school has been more difficult. Things like partnership minyanim, and even affiliation with JOFA, are still seen as pretty radical, and not within mainstream Orthodoxy. This is frustrating and marginalizing. Does anyone feel they have similar experiences in their Orthodox communities?

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