Editor –
Joel Katz
By Debra Nussbaum Cohen
“In the past when I was detained I had to have a policewoman come with me to the bathroom, but this was something different.
This time they checked me naked, completely, without my underwear. They dragged me on the floor 15 meters; my arms are bruised. They put me in a cell without a bed, with three other prisoners, including a prostitute and a car thief. They threw the food through a little window in the door. I laid on the floor covered with my tallit.
“I’m a tough cookie, but I was just so miserable. And for what? I was with the Hadassah women saying Sh’ma Israel.”
The
leadership of Women of the Wall remain committed to their struggle to gain the
right of all women to pray at the Kotel, each according to her own custom, with
Torah, Tallit and voices raised in song. Violence, intimidation and threat will
not deter the group of women from joining together and praying together to
celebrate every new Jewish month at the Western Wall.
By Rifkele
What would
Henrietta Szold do in such a case?
Given that
she struggled to be admitted to the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and
was finally allowed to matriculate together with rabbinical students under the
condition that she never ask to be ordained, in all likelihood she would have
been at the Kotel, determined to find a way for women to pray there.
At the
very least, no doubt Anat Hoffman is correct when she says that the Women of
the Wall organization is more deserving of the prize than Bibi is.
The vision
of Henrietta Szold, whose unique brand of leadership encompassed the social
feminist movement of her day as well as an inclusive, diverse vision of Jewish
peoplehood, was much more akin to the work of Women of the Wall than to any
aspect of the current Israeli government’s leadership.
In any
case, the women’s Zionist organization should not be silent now regarding this
violation of the rights of women in Zion.
These events are unacceptable and an affront to Jews worldwide who treasure Israel as a vibrant democracy committed to the right of gender equality and religious freedom." said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism.
"Israeli governmental leaders and law enforcement must ensure that the right of women to pray at the Wall is protected and arrests such as those that occurred last night are prevented from ever happening again."
By Dan
Tauber
Several
were arrested over the course of the holiday for allegedly praying at the
Temple Mount.
By Rabbi
Dow Marmur
Orthodox
rabbinic power in Israel disenfranchises women – i.e., more than half the
country’s Jewish population.
If Rabbi
Stav [Tzohar] wants to earn the respect of the Israeli mainstream, he must
commit himself to equal rights for women and their full recognition in all
religious matters.
He’ll also
have to acknowledge, however grudgingly, that the non-Orthodox streams deserve
equal rights in Israeli society because of their capacity to enrich Jewish life
– just as in the Diaspora."
More than
a century after Henrietta Szold studied at JTS, women in Israel are still
struggling for acceptance as Jewish leaders
.JPG)
Back row l
to r: Prof. Tamar Ross, Judy Heicklen, Ariel Braun, Belda Lindenbaum
Front row l to r: Dr. Hannah Kehat, Rachel Keren, Blu Greenberg,
Ricky Shapira-Rosenberg, Ayelet Weider-Cohen, Dr. Tova Hartman, Dr. Elana
Sztokman
The notion of the “big tent” took on a whole new meaning in the world of Orthodox
feminism this week as leading Orthodox women from Israel and North America
gathered in the Sukkah of Dr. Hannah Kehat, founding director of the Kolech
Religious Women’s Forum, to examine gender issues facing the Orthodox
communities around the world.
The meeting was the first of its kind in which Orthodox feminist leaders from the two countries of Israel and the United States met for the purpose of exploring their common agenda and toying with ways to make Orthodox feminism a more cohesive international movement. Participants left with an eager energy, earnestly anticipating next steps.
The meeting was the first of its kind in which Orthodox feminist leaders from the two countries of Israel and the United States met for the purpose of exploring their common agenda and toying with ways to make Orthodox feminism a more cohesive international movement. Participants left with an eager energy, earnestly anticipating next steps.
[article from July 12, 2012]
[article from Sept. 12, 2012]
Indictment
filed against Egged bus driver, who left 'immodest' women at bus stop, canceled
due to amendment to public transportation supervision law
By
Elana Sztokman
As
Israel’s military becomes more religious, women are having a really hard time
showing men how to hold a rifle.
20 percent
of respondents defined themselves as religious and 46 percent as nonreligious,
while the rest defined themselves as traditional
Owner of
Jerusalem restaurant decides to give up kosher certification after being forced
by kashrut supervisor to buy vegetables in specific stores
Ultra-Orthodox
group begins arriving at Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market every Friday, urging
merchants to shut down their stores one hour before Jewish day of rest begins.
Former
Shas party leaders Deri and Yishai cross paths as Shas intrigue heightens
Flor
Valderama, a 52-year-old mother of five, has appealed the deportation order
through her lawyer.
A member
of the Peruvian
B'nai Moshe community (also known as the "Inca Jews"), who
arrived in Israel a year and a half ago to care for her ailing father, is
sitting in jail awaiting deportation for having overstayed her tourist visa.
By Rabbi
Todd Berman
The
critical social bonds and memories of the experience function to foster
creativity and a sense of responsibility for the Jewish people both at home and
worldwide. And these young adults are the ones who will maintain the bridge
between Israel and the Diaspora in the years to come.
This is
simply a win-win for the entire Jewish people.
New
program, aiming to double number of ultra-Orthodox students, to offer variety
of courses while maintaining strict separation between men, women
If
suspicions against Rabbi Pinto are verified, this case is not just about
bribery, but also about obstructing justice.
Editor –
Joel Katz
All rights reserved.
