Search results
The Status of Women in Jewish Tradition Most ancient societies were patriarchal in outlook, but not all patri-archies are equally condescending toward women. Impelled by the gnawing question of whether the inferiority of women is integral to the Torah’s vision, Isaac Sassoon sets out to determine where the
Jewish women are often seen as silent throughout history and peripheral to or excluded from Jewish law and public ritual. This course sets out to find women’s voices.
First, we'll define the seven genders of the Talmud, examine whether they even count as genders, and look at examples of how they impacted ancient Jewish life.
Women in Judaism have affected the course of Judaism over millenia. Their role is reflected in the Hebrew Bible, the Oral Law (the corpus of rabbinic literature), by custom, and by cultural factors. Although the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature present various female role models, religious law treats women in specific ways.
There is no question that in traditional Judaism, the primary role of a woman is as wife and mother, keeper of the household. However, Judaism has great respect for the importance of that role and the spiritual influence that the woman has over her family.
Over 800 biographical entries and 128 topical essays on Jewish women in North America (primarily the United States) and their lives, organizations, and achievements from the mid-1500s to the end of the 20th century. Available online through the Jewish Women’s Archive website.
This class addresses a broad range of topics on women and Jewish spirituality, law and philosophy, with special attention given to the many ways in which Judaism speaks to women, even (or especially) in modern times.
