Info about Jewish Women
Jewish Women: A struggle for freedom
As with all cultures, women in Judaism have not always had equal treatment to their male counterparts. Instead, they were often prohibited from taking part in certain part of day to day Jewish life, an example being their segregation from men in the synagogue. This article will take a brief look at their rights, and how the Jewish religious texts have affected this.
Exodus 19:15 had a considerable influence on women in Jewish ritual practice. This text describes key events in Jewish history where the Jewish people were ready to receive the covenant. However, when people were preparing to receive the covenant, Moses speaks to the nation Israel as though they were all men.
The fact that Moses dealt with the society only as men gives the implicit message that the alliance formed in the covenant is only between God and man. Since women are excluded at this time, the inferred message is that everything that is happening at this time is not for them. Moses carried out discrimination because he did not say male and female stay away from each other. . Instead Moses clear statement: "do not go near a woman", indicates a difference in the value and responsibility of men and women of the covenant and, consequently, the rest of Judaism.
Here Moses sets the standard for the Jewish community and the role of women in Judaism. Given the obvious invisible divinely ordained and subordinate position that women were given on Sinai, women still continue to see fewer opportunities in traditional Jewish rituals and customs.
In Jewish tradition, on the basis of past and present, all practices must be rooted in historical events. The fact that a great historical event for Jews shuns women breaks down all efforts to change for a greater role for women in Judaism. Had the event have been less important, there would have been a possibility for change. However, having women excluded in the most important event in Jewish history closes the door on any attempt to change attitudes and gain true equality for Jewish women in tradition and in practice.
An example is the rabbinical order, which forbids women to be a rabbi. Jews would not feel like as much of a Jew on occasions in which a woman should be a rabbi, because in the long course of Jewish history, only men have held that role. On Mount Sinai, men were forced to take precedence as the leaders and as such, women are still lagging behind.
Although opportunities for Jewish women are now more open than they have been in the past, they are able to freely seek work, for example, they still continue to be denied a place in the traditions and values of Judaism. Sadly, this does not look like changing soon.