Conservative Judaism Women in Judaism

rabot - torah

although position of conservative judaism toward women differed little orthodox position, has in recent years minimized legal , ritual differences between men , women. committee on jewish law , standards (cjls) of rabbinical assembly has approved number of decisions , responsa on topic. these provide women s active participation in areas such as:

publicly reading torah (ba al kriah)
being counted part of minyan
being called aliyah read torah
serving cantor (shaliach tzibbur)
serving rabbi , halakhic decisor (posek - arbiter in matters of religious law)
wearing tallit , tefillin

a rabbi may or may not decide adopt particular rulings congregation; thus, conservative congregations more or less egalitarian others. however, there other areas legal differences remain between men , women, including:

matrilineal descent. child of jewish mother born jewish; child of jewish father born jewish if , if mother jewish.
pidyon ha-bat, proposed ceremony based on biblical redemption of eldest newborn son (pidyon ha-ben). cjls has stated particular ceremony should not performed. other ceremonies, such simchat bat (welcoming newborn daughter), should instead used mark special status of new born daughter. [cjls teshuvah rabbi gerald c. skolnik, 1993]

a conservative jewish ketuba includes clause puts husband , wife on more equal footing when comes marriage , divorce law within halacha.

the cjls reaffirmed obligation of conservative women observe niddah (sexual abstinence during , after menstruation) , mikvah (ritual immersion) following menstruation, although liberalizing details. such practices, while requirements of conservative judaism, not observed among conservative laity.

changes in conservative position

jts building @ 3080 broadway in manhattan

prior 1973, conservative judaism had more limited roles women , more similar current modern orthodoxy, changes on issues including mixed seating, synagogue corporate leadership, , permitting women called torah. in 1973, cjls of rabbinical assembly voted, without issuing opinion, women count in minyan. there special commission appointed conservative movement study issue of ordaining women rabbis, met between 1977 , 1978, , consisted of eleven men , 3 women; women marian siner gordon, attorney, rivkah harris, assyriologist, , francine klagsbrun, writer. in 1983, jewish theological seminary of america (jtsa) faculty voted, without accompanying opinion, ordain women rabbis , cantors. paula hyman, among others, took part in vote member of jts faculty.

in 2002, cjls adapted responsum rabbi david fine, women , minyan, provides official religious-law foundation women counting in minyan , explains current conservative approach role of women in prayer. responsum holds although jewish women not traditionally have same obligations men, conservative women have, collective whole, voluntarily undertaken them. because of collective undertaking, fine responsum holds conservative women eligible serve agents , decision-makers others. responsum holds traditionally minded communities , individual women can opt out without being regarded conservative movement sinning. adopting responsum, cjls found in position provide considered jewish-law justification egalitarian practices, without having rely on potentially unconvincing arguments, undermine religious importance of community , clergy, ask individual women intrusive questions, repudiate halakhic tradition, or label women following traditional practices sinners.

in 2006, cjls adopted 3 responsa on subject of niddah, reaffirmed obligation of conservative women abstain sexual relations during , following menstruation , immerse in mikvah prior resumption, while liberalizing observance requirements including shortening length of niddah period, lifting restrictions on non-sexual contact during niddah, , reducing circumstances under spotting , similar conditions mandate abstinence.

in cases, continuing orthodox approach upheld option. individual conservative rabbis , synagogues not required adopt of these changes, , small number have adopted none of them.

conservative approaches change

prior 1973, conservative approaches change on individual, case-by-case basis. between 1973 , 2002, conservative movement adapted changes through official organizations, without issuing explanatory opinions. since 2002, conservative movement has coalesced around single across-the board approach role of women in jewish law.

in 1973, 1983, , 1993, individual rabbis , professors issued 6 major opinions influenced change in conservative approach, first , second sigal, blumenthal, rabinowitz, , roth responsa, , hauptman article. these opinions sought provide wholesale shift in women s public roles through single, comprehensive legal justification. such opinions based positions on argument jewish women were, or have become, legally obligated perform same mitzvot men , in same manner.

the first sigal , blumenthal responsa considered cjls part of decision on prayer roles in 1973. argued women have had same obligations men. first sigal responsum used talmud s general prayer obligation , examples of cases in women traditionally obligated specific prayers , inferred them public prayer obligation identical of men. blumenthal responsum extrapolated minority authority minyan formed 9 men , 1 woman in emergency. committee on jewish law , standards (cjls) declined adopt either responsum. rabbi siegel reported rabbinical assembly membership many on cjls, while agreeing result, found arguments unconvincing.

the rabinowitz, roth, , second sigal responsa considered jtsa faculty part of decision ordain women rabbis in 1983. rabbinowitz responsum sidestepped issue of obligation, arguing there no longer religious need community representative in prayer , hence there no need decide whether woman can halakhically serve one. cjls felt argument potentially undermining value of community , clergy unconvincing: should not afraid recognize function of clergy our people connect holy. roth , second sigal responsa accepted time-bound mitzvot traditionally optional women, argued women in modern times change traditional roles. roth responsum argued women individually voluntarily assume same obligations men, , women (e. g., pray 3 times day regularly) count in minyan , serve agents. jtsa accordingly required female rabbinical students wishing train rabbis obligate themselves, synagogue rabbis, unwilling inquire individual religiosity, found impractical. second sigal responsum called takkanah, or rabbinical edict, serve halakhic era , overruling non-egalitarian provisions in law or, in alternative, new approach halakhic interpretation independent of legal precedents. cjls, unwilling use either intrusive approach or repudiation of traditional legal process bases action, did not adopt either , let jts faculty vote stand unexplained.

in 1993, professor judith hauptman of jts issued influential paper arguing women had historically been obligated in prayer, using more detailed arguments blumenthal , first sigal responsa. paper suggested women followed traditional practices failing meet obligations. rabbi roth argued conservative judaism should think twice before adopting viewpoint labeling traditional , committed members sinners. issue again dropped.

in 2002, cjls returned issue of justifying actions regarding women s status, , adopted single authoritative approach, fine responsum, definitive conservative halakha on role-of-women issues. responsum holds although jewish women not traditionally have same obligations men, conservative women have, collective whole, voluntarily undertaken them. because of collective undertaking, fine responsum holds conservative women eligible serve agents , decision-makers others. responsum holds traditionally minded communities , individual women can opt out without being regarded conservative movement sinning. adopting responsum, cjls found in position provide considered jewish-law justification egalitarian practices, without having rely on potentially unconvincing arguments, undermine religious importance of community , clergy, ask individual women intrusive questions, repudiate halakhic tradition, or label women following traditional practices sinners.