Last week I attended an Agunah Leyl Iyyun.  One of the speakers noted that halakhic solutions have been put forward in the past 150 years – that these – though not accepted on a widespread basis, are not new. Another speaker emphasized the real need for beit din reform, and the third spoke about the importance of community activism.

Reviewing films for the conference, I watched cuts from Women Unchained, an in-development documentary on the subject, that clearly lays out the plight of the agunah and their families, the anguish of all who are caught up in this horrific ordeal, and the history and attempts to address this issue. I watched rabbis shake their heads in sympathy as they expressed concern, and activists bemoan the situation and lack of movement. And as I watched, my frustration and anger mounted.

How long will we continue to subject ourselves to this injustice? How long will we continue to talk, and talk some more, to listen as others talk – and to accomplish little? I can’t help but ask myself: Where is the communal outrage? Is the apathy we see a result of people feeling they have no power to change the status quo? Where is the rabbinic courage – and leadership? Where is the social justice? We speak of the beauty and pleasantness of the Torah way of life – but the tragedy of the agunah does not fit this picture.

A conference at Fordham University on Jewish Family Law, the Agunah and General Issues in Jewish Law took place on February  7th and 8th,  and YU and the Beit Din of America are co-sponsoring a conference on “The Agunah Crisis” on February 14th.

In the face of this recent and upcoming activity, can we dare to have hope?

Halakhic solutions to iggun have been put forward and used in different communities in response to local situations throughout history. We have only to use them!

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?  

My main take-away messages from the four JOFA conferences I have attended are:

1. The excitement and energy of people grappling with issues and questions that they normally don’t deal with

2. The depth and breadth of knowledge that’s available

3. The new people you meet and fantastic conversations you enjoy and can eavesdrop on

4. The common sense that each person no longer feels alone

So, my job as Conference Chair is to keep this dynamic spirit going while making sure that we not only welcome our regular attendees but that  we continue to add new people — young, old, female, male, more and less observant — and that everyone  feels empowered and excited  to join  the conversation!

So, what are we talking about? How do we, both as individuals and as a community, increase the participation of women in ritual and life cycle events?  What rituals have traditionally been male oriented but halakhically can be open to women?   Does opening ritual to women weaken the affiliation of the core? Does inclusion strengthen the community? If so, how?  Should women create their own rituals? How do you do it?  What has been your most meaningful ritual or life cycle moment?

What does social justice mean to an Orthodox Jew?  Is it a religious value in our community? If so, has it been overshadowed by attention to details of ritual?  Should we be concerned about issues like human trafficking?  Do inhumane animal care practices matter to our concept of kashrut? Will a social justice perspective help identify new partners and rationales to create solutions for agunot?

What will be the future of women’s leadership in Orthodoxy?  Is women’s halakhic leadership a viable model? How can it be fostered? What will it mean for the community?  How do we make sure that communal non-Rabbinic leadership positions are afforded the same respect and compensation as Rabbis? How do we balance advances in learning with leadership?  Should your daughter ‘s dreams be different than your son’s?

Do religion, halachah and spirituality go hand in hand? Why do our Modern Orthodox lives often seem very busy yet spiritually lacking?  How do we find and carve out space to communicate to God more regularly?  How do we make tefillah (more) meaningful? How does spirituality in a 21^st C context differ from previous generations? How do you express your own spirituality?

These are some of the issues I think about and topics we plan to talk about at the conference.  But, don’t wait for the conference to join the conversation.  Ask your own questions in this space or help answer some of mine.

Let’s get the conversation started!

Audrey Axelrod Trachtman