http://blog.jofa.org/2010/02/who-is-god%e2%80%99s-wife/ Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:17:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://blog.jofa.org/2010/02/who-is-god%e2%80%99s-wife/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Daniel Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:34:04 +0000 http://blog.jofa.org/?p=88#comment-64 The answer you should give your child is that our tradition views God as neither and both male and female. God is truly Mother and Father, Abba and Ima, and as such, God is married to klal yisrael, each one of us. While this represents a very advanced way of thinking, it is never too early to introduce our children to complex and complete ideas about the nature of God and Her dealings with humanity. The answer you should give your child is that our tradition views God as neither and both male and female. God is truly Mother and Father, Abba and Ima, and as such, God is married to klal yisrael, each one of us. While this represents a very advanced way of thinking, it is never too early to introduce our children to complex and complete ideas about the nature of God and Her dealings with humanity.

]]> http://blog.jofa.org/2010/02/who-is-god%e2%80%99s-wife/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Idana Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:59:53 +0000 http://blog.jofa.org/?p=88#comment-40 While I understand the impulse to say, "why did she assume God to be male?'" despite how we try to raise her, I think that that's somewhat a given for young children as there entire environments presume the masculinity of God, from their prayers, to their picture books and to their teachers who, for sure, refer to God as He. In my house, I reflexively correct my kids when they say, God, He ...I don't change it to God, She but try to use gender neutral language and encourage them to think beyond an idea of God as a person. It's definitely complicated. But, I do take heart that your daughter thought to ask, where's God's wife, because it does mean she is sensitive to the idea of exclusion to ask where the women are. While I understand the impulse to say, “why did she assume God to be male?’” despite how we try to raise her, I think that that’s somewhat a given for young children as there entire environments presume the masculinity of God, from their prayers, to their picture books and to their teachers who, for sure, refer to God as He. In my house, I reflexively correct my kids when they say, God, He …I don’t change it to God, She but try to use gender neutral language and encourage them to think beyond an idea of God as a person. It’s definitely complicated. But, I do take heart that your daughter thought to ask, where’s God’s wife, because it does mean she is sensitive to the idea of exclusion to ask where the women are.

]]>