We strongly reject the statement issued by the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah, the Council of Torah Sages, that any synagogue in which a woman performs any rabbinic functions represents a radical and dangerous departure from Jewish tradition and can no longer be considered an Orthodox synagogue. This view does not recognize the many women who perform rabbinic functions in major Modern Orthodox synagogues around the country – as teachers, leaders, pastoral counselors, yoatzot halakha and more. The appointment of women in religious leadership roles is a natural evolution of the increased learning and synagogue responsibilities being undertaken by Orthodox women today. Many respected Modern Orthodox rabbis have endorsed women’s new religious roles in synagogue life and have welcomed these new initiatives as a contribution to building up community.

The statement by the Moetzet is clearly a political move, designed to put pressure on both the RCA and the Modern Orthodox community to delegitimize its own congregations and attack its individual leaders. It is also an attempt to pressure Modern Orthodoxy to pull back from the noble and fully halakhic strides it has made in this generation by welcoming women’s spiritual and intellectual gifts for the sake of our people.

For more information about JOFA’s advocacy efforts, please contact Audrey Axelrod Trachtman, VP of Advocacy, at jofa@jofa.org or 212-679-8500.

To read this as a PDF, click here: JOFA Statement Regarding Council of Torah Sages Statement 3 2 10