These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Tag Archives: feminism / women

A Letter to Men (Women are Invited to Read Too!)

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Geo Poor

Dear Men, Staring through the eyes of 50% of the Y-chromosome-holders in the Egalitarian Minyan, I wonder a question that I have never before thought but have heard from the other gender: “Where are all the guys?” Why is it that while the Mechizta Minyan has some 12 men and 2 women, the Egalitarian Minyan Continue Reading »

Challenges of Egalitarian Religious Practice on Israeli Army Bases

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Aliza Sebert

I wanted to share an exciting project with you. As part of my semester studying Israel education (through Kesher Hadash, the Israel semester of the JTS education school), I made a documentary dealing with the challenges of egalitarian religious practice on Israeli army bases. It is based in my experiences staffing Gadna last year while Continue Reading »

Raising the Issue – My Torah

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Meira Cohen

The place: a little shtieble near my house in New York. The time: the holiday of Simchat Torah. I am accompanying my brother and his two children to hakafot, the joyous circle dancing celebrating our people’s connection to the Torah. As I walk into the women’s section past the sign delineating proper and modest dress Continue Reading »

A Grey Kotel

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Andrea Wiese

I originally posted this on the Grey Zone Blog: I have felt to be in a Grey Zone before. There have been times that I felt that I didn’t fit in. But last Rosh Chodesh at the Kotel with Women of the Wall may have made me feel to be in the “greyest” zone of Continue Reading »

Intentional Community: Creative Thinking

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Carolyn Gerecht

A few weeks ago, an email came across my inbox (and probably yours, too) from David Levin-Kruss. “Ask me about this great opportunity to do Shabbat in Beer Sheva,” read the subject line. “City of Abraham, City of Opportunity.” I read it and figured, “Yeah, why not?” I had never been to Beer Sheva before, Continue Reading »

Continually opting in to Orthodoxy

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez

From my blog, Redefining Rebbetzin: There has been a lot of talk online over the past few months about Orthodox Feminism – ranging from how it is not possible, to how oppressed we are, to why we stay Orthodox. The posts on the latter topic seem to come mostly from women who grew up within Continue Reading »

Just a jump to the right?

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Sam Stern

From my blog: Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? It was 3:30 on a beautiful Friday afternoon when Judy and I started to embark on our big trip to Alon Shvut. The plan was simple: go tremping, make a left, find the green garbage cans, go down the stairs Continue Reading »

What is so Disrespectful about my Public Voice?

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Taylor Winfield

This week I read from the Torah for the first time. I stood up in front of my closest female friends, and sang the words of our people. I had been preparing for weeks, and I expected the moment to come with a high, a relief, a joy. But instead a seed inside of me Continue Reading »

Shabbat: New Experiences and Emotions

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Jessica Baverman

From my blog: Since I’ve been keeping Shabbat, I have had some that are absolutely fabulous and some that aren’t as much. It depends on whom I’m with, mainly. This past Shabbat was so amazing; I can only attempt to explain it. On Friday night, Emet and I went to a Reform shul. I haven’t Continue Reading »

The Strangest Kiddushin of them all

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Ben Schneider

From my blog: I’ve been learning a lot about traditional Jewish marriage this semester. In Gemara classes on tractates Kiddushin and Ketubot, we’ve been talking about how a man betroths a woman and what the language of the Ketubah indicates about their rights and obligations. There are also more esoteric topics: A man can encourage Continue Reading »