From: faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Torah is the center of every Jew? (was Orthadox Judaism and women)
Date: 12 Jan 93 14:52:46
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In-reply-to: khaikin@boa.cis.ohio-state.edu's message of Tue, 12 Jan 1993 21:51:41 GMT

On Tue, 12 Jan 1993 21:51:41 GMT, khaikin@boa.cis.ohio-state.edu (dmitry khaikin) said:

> So, would you care to explain and answer the question I asked you about
> your view of this issue or what? Where is your argument, from whichever
> point of view you want? I don't see it. I guess, I should not have even
> asked you for something you can't possibly provide... 

The following is from "Liberal Judaism" by Eugene Borowitz, an excellent
discourse on what Reform is and why:

Pg 386 and on:

		  Case Three: The Status of Women In Judaism

   No issue is more deeply troubling to the modern Jewish conscience than the
   treatment of women in our society and in our religion.  The special
   disabilities people face merely becaause they were born with female gender
   extend beyond our ability to specify them. How strange it now seems that
   until recently single women, even those with good jobs, could not get bank
   loans or that married women had to have their husbands sign their loan
   applications.  Women seemed suited for a few, relatively marginal jobs but
   not ones with power or administrative control, even over large number of
   other women.  Of course, there were some few exceptions to these rules but
   they were just that, exceptions.

   Even worse, everyone "knew" that these arrangements were for the women's
   own good. They were too delicate for the rigors of higher education,
   business, government, or careers. They needed men to protect them from the
   realities of life and to provide the sheltered sort of existence where they
   could flourish. Naturally, no one bothered to ask women what they wanted.
   They were expected to do what their menfolk said, for the men knew what was
   right. 

   Sensitized by feminism, we must say that Judaism also substantially denied
   women their reights to be fully self-determining. A case can be made for
   the *relative* humaneness of the Jewish tradition. When compared to other
   religions and culters in similar periods, the status of Jewish woman was
   higher and legally much more secure. She had an honored, stable,
   significant position in community and family life and a distinct if
   separate role in observing G-d's law.

   Viewed as a human creation, Judaism's law concerning women reflects the
   universal prejudice of premodern mankind somewhat alleviated by the humane
   sensitivies of Jewish faith. But seen traditionally, as G'd's own dictates,
   Jewish law and custom concerning women are unacceptable to the modern
   conscience. Simply put, Judaism made women a different category of persons
   than men and this differentiation rationalized their subordination to men.
   Men set the terms under which women were to operate, the classic sign of
   discrimination---one Jews have no difficulty recognizing when Christians do
   the same thing to them.

	  We Must Continue To Change Our Old Jewish Ethics of Women

   I do not wish to review the details of the many problems Jewish women must
   still face in fighting for equality in Judaism. But I must note that this
   imperative surely also applies to liberal Judaism despite its old
   commitment to women's rights (as expressed in family seating at services
   and equality of Jewish education). For instance, Reform Jews have ordained
   women as rabbis and invested them as cantors for some time---but some
   congregants still will not accept women clergy. Conservative Judaism nearly
   split apart over the issue of ordaining women. In all groups, the day seems
   far off when, for reasons of merit, a woman will serve as a senior rabbi
   with male assistants. 

   Surely our old religious attidues towards women must be changed. The
   inequality and discrimination which seemed ethical, indeed laudatory toa
   previous generation, now much be seen as demeaning and inhumane. In this
   area we have an immediate agenda for our moral growth even as the verious
   generations of the Bible and Talmud had theirs. We face many complex
   problems---intellectial, symbolic, and human---in implementing our new
   vision. Yet the difficulty of creating and teaching new patterns of
   female-mail relationships must not itself become an excuse for evading
   action. The Bible authors and rabbis managed to overcome the laws of the
   rebellious son and an eye for an eye. So must we reform all that prevents
   the equality of women in Judaism and device the new forms which will give
   it expression.

> Is there anybody else who CAN put up an argument instead of general
> statements and explain to me what exactly Reform view is? 

In the source materials that I have easily at my disposal, I cannot find a
concise statement of the position. In American Reform Responsa, there are two
potentially relevant responsa: one on women wearing tallit, and one on women
rabbis. I think the position, however, can be inferred from the following
quotes from Gates of Mitzvah:

pg 4.: "...Where they felt that long-standing practices and customs responded
   to the needs of our time, [the authors] did not hesitate to give them
   strong and urgent support. Where they felt--as, for instance, in matters
   regarding the equality of men and women--that new means were needed to
   epxress religious needs, they did not hesitate to suggest alternative
   mitzvot. ..."

A-3 Abortion
   "...In keeping with this tradition, and recognizing that one's emotional
   health is as important as one's physical health, Reform Judaism affirms the
   right of a woman, after due regard to the sanctity of life and in
   accordance with the principles of Jewish morality, to determine whether or
   not she can continue a pregnancy to term..."

B-1 The Mitzvah of Berit
   "Jewish tradition is specific about the fact that both men *and* women
   enetered into the Sinazitic berit with God. .... it should be understood
   that every child born into the Jewish people, male or female, is part of
   the berit"

B-6 A Berit Service for Girls

   "It is a mitzvah to bring daughters as well as sons into the Berit. Reform
   Judaism is committed to the equality of the sexes, and in consonence with
   this principle, parents should arrange a berit service for girls either at
   home or in the synagogue. A berit service for girls--The Covenant of
   Life--may be found in Gates of the House, pages 114-117.

B-7 Parents role in the Berit
   "The responsiblity for bringing a child into the berit rests upon its
   parents. Traditionally, it was the father who was required to circumcise
   his son or to present him to the mohel for circumcision. In Reform Judaism
   parents share the responsibility for bringing their sons and daughters into
   the berit, and both mothers and fathers are involved in the ceremonies.

C-1 The mitzvah of naming a child
   "...It was customary to link the name of the child with that of the father
   through the connecting Hebrew words ben (son of) or bat (daughter of),
   e.g., Yosef ben Daniel. In Reform Judaism, however, it is proper to link
   the name of the child with both mother and father, e.g., Yosef ben Rachel
   ve-Daniel. 

C-5 Pidyon ha-ben
   "The ritual of pidyon ha-ben is generally not observed in Reform
   congregations."

A-7 Equality in Marriage
   "In the Reform Jewish view, Kiddushin establishes a bond of mutuality
   between a man and a woman. They are equal partners in the home,
   consecreated to one another unconditionally. Therefore, any aspect of a
   marriage or the perparations for a marriage which suggests the dominance or
   the diminution of one or the other partner should be recognized as such and
   avoided.

C-3 The vow and rings
   Since the Reform wedding ceremony is one of equivalence between bride and
   groom, the vows should be recited by both. 

D-2 The get
   While traditional Judaism requires the obtaining of a religious divorce
   decree (a get), ..., Reform rabbis will generally accept a civil divorce as
   sufficient. The decision as to whether or not it is advisable to obtain a
   get before remarriage should be made in consultation with the rabbi.

E-12 The mitzvah of joining a congregation
   ...It should be understood that in Reform Judaism women take part in the
   life of the synagogue equally with men. There is no religious function
   which may not be performed by women.

Many of these comments have notes explaining there sources, which are too
voluminous to type in. The full reference is:

[GoM79] _Shaarei Mitzvah: Gates of Mitzvah, A Guide to the Jewish Life Cycle_.
        Central Conference of American Rabbis, 1979. ISBN 0-916694-37-2
        Hardback, 0-916694-53-4 Pbk.

> There are so many Reform Jews in this group and not one of you can answer a
> simple question on what Reform Judaism is?

Actually, no there aren't so many Reform Jews. One purpose of the survey I'm
running (hint, hint, if you haven't responded yet) is to see the breakdown of
the newsgroup by movement. Here are the current numbers:

    JO [Orthodox            ]:  34.88%
    JC [Conservative        ]:  22.09%
    JL [Liberal/Reform      ]:  17.44%
    JS [Secular/Humanistic  ]:   8.14%
    AA [Agnostic or Atheist ]:   4.65%
    JT [Traditional         ]:   3.49%
    JU [Unspecified Jewish  ]:   2.33%
    OT [Other               ]:   2.33%
    CC [Catholic            ]:   1.16%
    CF [Christian Fndmntlist]:   1.16%
    JN [Non-Affiliated      ]:   1.16%
    JR [Reconstructionist   ]:   1.16%

The Orthodox and Conservative are definately in the majority (although the
percentage of Reform here has gone up since the last survey).

> I am definatelly going to a Reform
> Rabbi this week. I am overflowing with curiasity about Reform Judaism

Good. It is much better to ask a scholar than a layman. Please remember that
you are talking to a Rabbi (i.e., don't go in antagonistic or insulting, go in
with an open mind and honest questions).

> and nobody seems to know their own faith, or you just don't care
> enough to explain it to me. 

We often try to explain it (or at least I do). Often, our explanations are not
accepted with the respect we accept yours. That may be due to the fact that we
are not schooled in the "yeshiva discourse" (read: tear apart the argument as
if it were fresh (salted, kosher) meat).

> I am not trying to argue with anybody at this point anymore. I am just
> trying to find out the Reform point of view. 

Please read some of the texts on the Reform Reading List, which I have sent
you (and is available in the nysernet mail.liberal-judaism archives).

Daniel
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