Jewfem Blog

I never thought I would be the one to get up on Passover eve at 5AM to watch the sunrise and partake in a rather strange practice that occurs only 28 years. I'm not much of a morning person to begin with, and add that to the intense pressure of preparing Seder and finishing the magical feat that is turning over an entire kitchen -- given all that, going out at dawn to make an obscure blessing was something I wouldn't have expected myself to do. Yet, there I was, packing up my kids, my dog, and my remaining chametz to climb to the top of Titura (well, we drove some part), where we watched the sunrise with a group of friendsand praised God for creating the universe. What a beautiful way to usher in the holiday of spring and birth, and the celebration of freedom. Hallelujah....

Thank you Nomi Saraga for changing the world! The Kolech blog has been credited with influencing the rabbi of Elyachin to change his discriminatory and harmful policies regarding women and mourning. According to YNET, which originally picked up the story about women being prohibited from attending their own relatives' burials from Kolech, the Elyachin rabbi "reread the sources" after receiving all the bad publicity. The blog led to pressure, which led to real change! It doesn't happen every day, but for now, Score 1 for women changing the world through blogging!

The status of women in Israeli politics has hit a new low. As Bibi Netanyahu finalizes his coalition talks, the picture for women is becoming starkly clear: Two women, among some 35 men in senior cabinet positions. The two women, by the way, are Likud veteran and former Education Minister Limor Livnat as Minister of Culture and Sport, and Sopha Landver of Yisrael Beitenu as Minister of Absorption. The two women now constitute the now 5.4% female representation in the Executive Branch of government, below the world statistic in which 12% of UN nations have a women head of state (24 out of 192), far below the 21% of representation in the Knesset, and way, way below the 51% of women who actually make up the population of voters. Women are arguably the most under-acknowledged voter base, and most certainly the least likely to elbow their way into the corridors of Israeli power.

When a pagan came to Hillel and demanded to be taught the entire Torah on one foot, Hillel did not kick him out but said simply, "What you do not want others to do to you, do not do to others. The rest is commentary." Hillel was not being cute, flippant, or evasive, but stating a profound truth that reflects the essence of the Divine. According to religion scholar Karen Armstrong, whose books include The History of God, The Spiral Staircase, and twenty other must-reads on religion, history and society, all religions of the world have at their core this truth: that to reach God, one must live a compassionate life -- proactively, passionately, and profoundly. Compassion is not weakness, nor is it passive or ambivalent. Compassion is powerful, activist, and potentially worldchanging. Here in this inspiring and provocative video, this former nun who once swore off religion argues that religion can bring world peace. She articulates more than any rabbi I have ever heard the most profound spiritual truths of the universe. Karen Armstrong: Charter for Compassion

Ever since Sara Hurwitz was given the role and title of “Spiritual Leader” at Rabbi Avi Weiss’ Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, the Orthodox world is abuzz over the prospect of women’s rabbinic ordination. Of course, as I wrote weeks ago, this is not exactly historic, since there already are at least two women who received Orthodox ordination – Rabbi Haviva Ner David and Rabbi Mimi Feigelson – but it is still news. The public display involved followed by the public debate may yet hasten the welcome arrival of the messiah – or at the very least the onslaught of Orthodox women rabbis.

Apparently I started World War III this week over women’s head covering. Aliza Hausman, an amazing young Dominican Jewish writer who blogs about race, religion and life at Jewminicana, has recently been describing the physical and emotional tribulations of head cover. Her traumas focus on her debilitating pain, headaches, and mostly her "big hair". Many of her writings also focus on the need to fit in with "regular" -- read, non-convert -- Orthodox Jews. Her depictions of uniform, superficial, judgmental Orthodox life should give pause to those interested in religious Jewish practice. So I commented to her post and made the radical suggestion that maybe she shouldn't cover her hair. And, then all hell broke loose.

I love Lilo and Stitch. Despite Disney’s troubling track record when it comes to issues of gender and multiculturalism, in this movie, the animators seem to have broken their own patterns not only by enchantinglycapturing the Hawaiian music and atmosphere, but also by the way they depict the main character. Lilo is the rare example of a female heroine who is short, plump, awkward, doll-hating, untrendy, opinionated and even angry (!) – yet, she is treated with an adoring respect and compassion by certain key figures she comes into contact with. It’s the kind of setting that gives comfort to those of us who were not, shall we say, typical ‘girls’ growing up. It has the potential to be, on some level, almost healing for girls (and women) who tend not to fit societal expectations.

I have my own Moshe Katzav story. When Katzav, then Israel President, visited Australia in March 2005, and I was working at JNF in the Israeli-professional hub of Beth Weizmann, I was asked to join the local support staff for the President for those few days. At the time it was a big thrill, and of course all of Jewish Australia was abuzz over the impending Israeli presidential visit Down Under. Well, I had an even greater thrill when one of Katsav’s senior staffers came into the back room and said, “The President would like a massage. Does anyone know a good massage therapist?” Well, I knew one! My husband, Jacob, was working as a massage therapist – and is a die-hard Zionist who would undoubtedly jump at the opportunity to serve the State of Israel in whatever manner happens to be available. The massage required some logistical maneuvers: Katzav was staying in the city and was giving his big speech to the community on Saturday night (a speech which turned out to be a dud – he was thereafter noted for being an exceptionally boring orator, and that was before the three hour flop we witnessed last week). So anyway, Jacob had to rush to the city as soon as Shabbat was over in order to get the president’s massage in before the Big Speech. Jacob prepared his stuff on Friday, and the second Shabbat was out, he grabbed his table and jumped into the car. Within five minutes, however, the call came. “Forget the massage,” the senior staffer said. “The President does not get massages from men. Only from women.”

My friend Helen Varney, who is writing a doctoral dissertation on breast cancer and body image among Orthodox Jewish women, herself a breast cancer survivor living outside of Melbourne, wrote this provocative review of Helen Garner's, The Spare Room, that raises important issues about cancer, care, women's relationships, and death: Limpid prose, a tautly-told tale – this is a compellingly readable novel. I devoured it in a day, and wasn’t surprised that it won in the fiction category of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. But it’s also a book that troubled me.