At the same time, we are disappointed that the RCA rejected the ordination of women as Orthodox Rabbis or as members of the Orthodox rabbinate.  While not unexpected, we are puzzled by this conclusion, as no compelling halakhic analysis has been articulated that prohibits women from serving in these roles.  The contributions made by committed, learned women serving the community speak most eloquently to their appropriateness as religious leaders.  Over time, we expect that their record will outweigh the concerns that had a significant impact on this decision.

We, together with the RCA, believe that women contribute to the vibrancy of Orthodoxy and that Jewish life is enriched by having women in positions of influence and stature within our community.  We look forward to partnering with the RCA to develop a strategy for the expansion of women’s leadership roles.

In another resolution passed at this same convention, the RCA noted the reality of different ideologies within Orthodoxy and stated, “We respect their right to differ in the spirit of אלו ואלו דברי אלוהים חיים  (these and these are the words of the Living God).”  In this spirit and with respect, we continue to support the aspirations of learned, God-fearing women to become authoritative, communal religious leaders.

To download PDF of this statment, click here: Statement on RCA

We are encouraged by the RCA’s recent statement asserting “its commitment to women’s Torah education and scholarship at the highest levels, and to the assumption of appropriate leadership roles within the Jewish community.” At the same time, we are saddened that so many leaders remain unsupportive of a title commensurate with the critical roles that women perform in the synagogue and greater Orthodox community.

JOFA believes that dialogue across the Orthodox community must be conducted with the respect embodied in the principle of “kol mahloket she’hi le’shem shamayim…,” any argument for the sake of Heaven…. It is the wide variety of opinions, voices and practices within both halakha and our community that creates its richness and depth. We invite all to add their voices and “Join the Conversation” at the JOFA Conference this weekend, Saturday evening – Sunday March 13-14.

To read as PDF, click here: JOFA Statement 3 9 10

How do we negotiate between our personal needs and halakhic mandates? More specifically, would you do something that you know will make you absolutely miserable because some interpret the halakha to say you must? Could we not find an interpretation in order to spare someone suffering? Would such an interpretation be more available with more women serving as halakhic decisors? In watching the movie Shira, in which a woman has five daughters and wants to wait before having another child, but her husband says no, I was left wondering. Would a woman trying to advise her have better understood her suffering? I was moved by her suffering, her husband does not seem to understand it.

What is the best approach to making change in our communities- from within or from without? In a powerful film about a woman seeking change in a mosque, I saw many parallels to life in Orthodox synagogues (balconies for women, attire expectations, etc.). How do we make our communities great places for women? I have been interested for a long time in synagogue change and creating welcoming communities, and this film pushes me to think about how Orthodox synagogues can help women feel that the synagogue is ours too. Especially as we watch the activity across an often-high mechitza.

While there are times when I wish my community could be more progressive in terms of ritual inclusion, I am aware that in small Jewish communities, even progressive Orthodox synagogues must often serve a broad spectrum of Jews. In many of these communities, where maintaining and strengthening unity is of vital importance, ritual innovation is not the be all and end all of feminism. Our challenge is to find ways, beyond ritual inclusion, to welcome women’s voices, scholarship and leadership and to convey to young women, and to all who attend our synagogues, that everyone truly counts. 

Now, at 15, my daughter is vaguely indifferent about issues of Jewish feminism. She comes to the partnership minyan we started (at her urging!) but has to be coaxed into leading pesukei dizimarah  and reading Torah. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t want to be associated with a cause her parents have championed. Or maybe it’s because she goes to a Modern Orthodox school where there are few opportunities for girls to take leadership roles in tefillah. As a result, her peers are largely uninterested in taking on more responsibility in a minyan, fighting inequities or eliminating double standards. The status quo is comfortable and most teenagers don’t want take an unpopular stance alone. That’s why, as a co-chairwoman of the programming committee for this year’s conference, I believe our middle school track and sessions geared to high school students will be a great opportunity for teens to discuss, among other issues, what they believe and how their actions are shaped by peer pressure. Who knows? Maybe my daughter will wander in and be inspired. I hope so because she’d make a great rabbi. Besides, she hasn’t practiced her pirouettes in some time.

Since the last Conference, I have joined the board of JOFA and put my first two children into mainstream Orthodox Day School.  Both have been exciting, as well as frustrating endeavors.  To join the ranks of JOFA leadership has been an honor that has allowed me to interact with the greats of Orthodox Feminist Leadership.  I was raised in the trenches of this movement and I feel proud to take on these issues in my own right.   Being a board member has given me the opportunity to voice my concerns and act on them in a real and fundamental way.   It has also provided a window into the slow-moving, often gruelingly political, process that fostering change can be.   

My inauguration into the day school community has been fairly, almost surprisingly, uneventful.  My children have enjoyed smooth transitions, high-quality teachers and minimal drama, yet I find myself with my guard constantly up.   The education of my children has been the issue that has kept me on the ramparts of the Orthodox Feminist movement all these years (as opposed to chucking it all in favor of a more pluralist or denominationally neutral sphere).  I firmly believe that if we raise our children to think more broadly about Judaism, Orthodoxy, gender roles and leadership, many of the issues we struggle  with these days will fade away and a whole new norm will be conceived.  My children are young, so there have been minimal opportunities to offend, and in truth, our school does handle many issues with deft sensitivity.  That being said, there are indications that I cannot let down my guard.  I cannot wait till the issues present themselves.  I need to use these early years to watch and learn what the hashkafa (philosophy) of the school really is and not just what they say it is.   

So, I eagerly await this conference.  I am excited to hear about glass-ceilings being challenged and broken, innovative approaches to learning and age-old texts, new roles being conceived and exhibited.  I look forward to the conversation and the khizuk that comes from rubbing elbows with like-minded people.  I sincerely hope you will join me.

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