Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

She also said that socialism would give women economic freedom (pg 4). She argued that
women must also be willing to give up the protections they received from men and
become independent. However, she was not confident that women would want to give this
up and that men would want to surrender the power they had.
III.
Plaskow
A. In her essays on feminism and Judaism, Plaskow argued that women have been given a
secondary role in traditional religious practices throughout Jewish history (pg 57).
Although many of these practices changed in recent times, in the past women were not
counted in the minyan, which is the quorum required for prayer; women were not called
to the Torah; women were not allowed to become Rabbis; female infants had no naming
ceremony to welcome them into the covenant with God; and girls did not have a coming of
age ceremony similar to that of a bar mitzvah.
B. Traditional Jewish laws used supposed biological differences between men and women—
such as women being weaker and in need of protection, but also their inherent nurturing
and gentle nature—to justify the exclusion of women in traditions. Their duties in the
home were valued religiously, which was used as an excuse to give them fewer religious
rites (pg 58). Plaskow argued that these separations perpetuate difference more than they
explain them.
C. Early Jewish feminists believed that women’s status could be changed through law, rituals,
and other practices (pg 56). They were confident that allowing women to become Rabbis
and creating a coming of age ceremony for girls would give women the equality they
desired. However, Plaskow argued that it was not the most effective strategy because it
only scraped the surface of female’s secondary status. She believed that simply adding
women to traditions and customs did not change the underlying issue of women’s
exclusion because it did not identify why women were excluded in the first place (pg 57).
Plaskow believed true equality in the Jewish community could not be reached until women
had a part in shaping Judaism (p 128).
D. Plaskow said that a necessary first step to change is the creation of community. The women
within Plaskow’s community were able to redefine their definition of “woman”. They
broke free from stereotypes of feminine women (pg 26). Once community is formed,
Plaskow listed the struggles communities often go through (pg 129):
1. Hearing silence: Plaskow defined silence as the lack of women’s voices in
Jewish tradition. They are not seen or heard in the Torah. Women lived and
fashioned Jewish life, yet they were not credited with doing so.
2. Making a space to name silence and taking authority to talk back: Plaskow
emphasized the importance of creating a space for women to discuss the
silence. Prepare themselves to speak by educating themselves—take
responsibility for what they have to say. The congregation must accept their
opinions to make a change.
3. Checking back: Check back to make sure what they say is right for Judaism and
fair for both men and women. Plaskow said this is an important step to always
come back to. Constant critique.
E. While it is often assumed that theology is not a large focus in Judaism, Plaskow pointed out
that all Jewish beliefs and practices are based on fundamental claims about God, the law
given to Moses, and the special covenant between God and Israel. In other religions, claims
like these are considered to be theology. Through midrash—the traditional way Jews have
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