Chag Shavuot Sameach!

For Men Only? Gendered Language in the Aseret Ha-Dibrot
By Rachel Furst, JOFA Journal on Shavuot (2007)

… Hazal (the Sages), … nonetheless found it inconceivable that women were absent at the moment of revelation or that they were left out of God’s covenant with the People of Israel. To compensate for the Torah’s male-centered language, the rabbis went to great lengths to read women into the text and to argue for their inclusion in both the moment and the message.

For full article, click here

Check out the story “Religious Paper Cuts Clinton from Iconic Photo” on CNN.com regarding a Haredi newspaper erasing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Director of Counterterrorism, Audrey Tomason from the historic situation room photo. Also see JOFA’s included quote, “And sometimes we get the feeling that men wish women were not even in the room… This picture by [an ultra-Orthodox] newspaper goes a step further by revising history to remove important women leaders from the historic room in which they were present. It reminds us of how much work is still to be done!” here

As we celebrate receiving the law, let’s celebrate the ways in which women were included in the Jewish people at Har Sinai. Women were there then, and we are still here. Support JOFA in our work to keep women in the story!

Launching Soon

A Daughter’s Recitation of Kaddish

by Rahel Berkovits

Ta Shma: Come & Learn Halakhic Source Guide

Reciting mourner’s kaddish for a parent stands at the heart of the Jewish bereavement experience. While traditionally this public recitation has been seen as a son’s responsibility, a daughter reciting kaddish is not a modern concept. The halakhic literature addresses questions such as: May a daughter recite mourner’s kaddish? May she recite kaddish alone or must it be in conjunction with a man? Should her kaddish be said aloud or quietly?

Ground-breaking Guide

A Daughter’s Recitation of Kaddish, written by Rahel Berkovits, provides a thorough analysis of the sources, thereby enabling meaningful conversation and practice.

Previews Held in Four Communities with Excellent Scholars

Previews held in Skokie, Illinois; St Louis, Missouri; Livingston, New Jersey; and Boca Raton, Florida were taught by Sara Wolkenfeld (currently a JLIC co-director at Princeton) and Lynn Kaye (Assistant Congregational Leader at Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of New York).

Powerful Topic, Enthusiastic Response

We thank these communities for their warm welcome and enthusiastic response to the program and the guide! The attendees were captivated, asking a wide variety of thoughtful questions. Clearly this topic is a very emotional and powerful one in Jewish lives. We look forward to the official launch of the guide and more community conversations.

Read more and see pictures here