WOMEN IN JEWISH LIFE by Ellen M. Umansky
In the past century, feminism has been a popular and powerful force of change in the Jewish religious revival. Tremendous change has been observed in the role of women in the Jewish communal life. Ellen M. Umansky of Fairfield University describes these changing roles in terms of; increased numbers of educated Jewish women, women's rights, and persuasive feminists dissolving many ancient traditional limits.
Up through the early nineteenth century, women had only three main roles in the Jewish communal life: baking the braided loaf called Challah, lighting the Sabbath candles and following the laws of purity, which regulated the number of times during which sexual relations between married couples were permitted. Today, many women still bake ritually prepared Challah, and light candles on Friday nights but only the traditionally observant women follow the laws of niddah. These are the laws of ritual purity, which includes immersing oneself in a ritual bath or mikvah for a set number of days following ones menstrual or childbirth. It is after this ritual that a woman would resume sexual intercourse, thus enabling her husband to accomplish the responsibility to be fruitful and proliferate.
Most Jewish women developed a more private sense of spirituality despite receiving minimal religious education and lacking access to the Hebrew prayer book. The women’s role in Jewish life greatly expanded in the subsequent half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. These changes were reflected in the leadership roles assumed by women in many Protestant denominations and different religious movements. Since Regina Jonas was ordained as the first female Rabbi by reform Rabbi Max Dienemann in 1935, hundreds of other women have been absorbed into the Jewish rituals as cantors. Cantors are Jews trained to lead in prayer services and are well known for their musical and chanting skills.
Although women have become visible and wield more authority in the Jewish community than a century ago, they have not yet attained parity. Only a handful of the Jewish women ordained as rabbis secure senior positions in huge and prestigious congregation. Though feminism has been perceived as a danger to ‘Jewish continuity’, Jewish feminists still persist in their activism to diversify and create a more inclusive Jewish community.
TEN COMMINTMENTS, NOT COMMANDMENTS by Michael Lerner
Rabbi Michael Lerner, a Jewish philosopher, wrote an essay challenging readers to comprehend the Ten Commitments. The philosopher in his work has incorporated the thoughts of Rami Shapiro in Minyan, in an effort to bring liberation to the Jews from all forms of evil deeds.
1. I acknowledge in every being the manifestation of the divine. I vow not to undertake any form of action that will cause harm or inflict pain to anybody, but rather advocate the healing of the world.
2. I promise not to worship anything materialistic, either as a mark of power or as an expression of the heavenly; but worship only God.
3. Having known the many possible paths to God, I accept to value all sacred traditions that advocate love and respect among human beings. I will never spell curses to any human regardless of his or her traditional way of life.
4. I will learn by heart to always appreciate the goodness of life each day of my life by observing the Sabbath.
5. I will always respect and treat my parents and ancestors with nobility.
6. I vow to secure all humans, living creatures and my surroundings from any form of mistreatment or lethal threats.
7. I pledge not to be disloyal to the sexual promises I have made to those that I love, and always respect other people’s choices.
8. I will not steal materials or other people’s ideas. I will always put into practice charity and combat injustice.
9. I will always tell the truth and fight against any form of undue speech and gossip.
10. I will not turn out to be possessed with greediness, nor let that mind-set bring conflict between myself and those around me. I will always be thankful for what I have and preserve resources for the upcoming generations..
