As I look ahead to the conference, the topic that most intrigues me is social justice. In the early years of JOFA’s existence, we never talked about the relationship between Orthodox feminism and social justice. As a student of feminist theory and a historian-in-training, I know that feminist organizations and movements often see themselves as agents of larger social change. More than pursuing merely their own particularized mission, they see themselves as part of a larger mission of transforming the world into a kinder place for women and other traditionally oppressed groups. Up until this point, when I contemplated the role that social justice should play in JOFA’s agenda, I believed that JOFA had too much work to do just within the parameters of Orthodox Judaism. We would have no time, energy or resources to pursue or support the greater social change advocated by other feminist organizations.
But now I wonder. Have we “made it” enough to begin to see beyond the struggles we have within Orthodox Judaism? Are we too particularist if we restrict our social justice agenda to agunot? Or is it the agunah problem so horrible and intractable that we must give it every ounce of our energy until it is solved? Should JOFA try to see itself as more of a part of a family of feminist organizations? Should we have on our agenda the fact that women are a tiny minority of the leadership in Jewish organizations, and that Jewish organizations are notoriously uncommitted to family-friendly work policies such as paid family leave, breastfeeding support, and on-site child care? How should we chart our course going forward? I think it might be a time for a broadening of our vision.
What do you think?
I think it’s very important to relate the struggle of Jewish women for a voice within Orthodoxy to the broader struggles of people for freedom and dignity. It goes beyond just building good will and networking with other activists. Can any person truly be free of an oppression that still exists in the world and afficts others? This does not mean having to drop our own special agendas and dilute our energies; it just means recognizing the link between our ourselves and others and stating that relationship explicitly when opportunities arise for dialogue withother movements. Doing so we gain insights about our own condition as part of the human condition, we strengthen ourselves through acknowledgment of the connection, and we express support for others engaged in similar struggle. I’m writing not just from ideals, but from my experience in the women’s liberation movement in the 1970’s. We always understood that the oppression of women in American (secular) culture was linked with economic exploitation, racial stereotyping, etc. etc.
Comment by Sara Fishman on January 24, 2010 12:18 AM