And in the past five years, more than 2,500 Jewish women and 500 of their daughters older than 12 have participated in an annual Women's Community Seder in Milwaukee near the start of Passover. The females-only dinner drew more than 500 people this year. If you read any kind of data, you see that Jews in general celebrate the holiday of Passover, especially the Seder, more than any other holiday we have. And I feel that this is an easy role for women, because so many women can't participate in reading the Torah. It doesn't bash males. . . .
Women have a right to be non-traditional and express their feelings.
Berkson said the Passover story is exceptionally appropriate for women because it is a birth story, not only of Moses but also of the entire Jewish people. And so, for the first time, we're beginning to view the texts through the women. I don't find it surprising that some of it's coming out of the Book of Exodus, because in many ways it is a text where women play an absolutely crucial role. And I've always counted seven women who were very significant. The midwives were two of them, of course.