What is it about?
Democracy is supposed to allow individuals the opportunity to follow their conception of the good without coercion. Generally speaking, Israel gives precedence to Judaism over liberalism. This article argues that the reverse should be the case. In Section I it is explained what the Halachic grounds for discrimination against women are. Section II concerns the Israeli legal framework and the role of the family courts. Section III considers Israeli egalitarian legislation and ground-breaking Supreme Court precedents designed to promote gender equality. Section IV analyses inegalitarian manifestations of Orthodox Judaism in Israeli society today, especially discriminatory practices in matters of personal status. It is argued that Judaism needs to adapt gender equality because of Israel’s commitment to human rights. Israeli leaders should strive to close the unfortunate gap between the valuable aims and affirmations voiced in the 1948 Deceleration of Independence and the reality of unequal political and social rights for women.
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Why is it important?
The issue concerns 50% of Jewish population. It is very important
Perspectives
During my teenage years, after my Bar Mitzvah, I was considering to become an Orthodox Jew. With the encouragement of my grandfather, a wise and tolerant man, I began reading the Torah on my own. I decided against becoming Orthodox mainly because of two reasons: treatment of women, and treatment of minorities. I did not like the way women and minorities were depicted. Now I returned to study the status of women in Jewish Law as an adult. This time I did it far more meticulously and became even more alarmed reading how women are perceived and treated. This is anything but humane, egalitarian and open-minded religion. Judaism needs to be reformed. The Reform Movement is a step in the right direction.
Professor Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Discrimination against Jewish Women in Halacha (Jewish Law) and in Israel, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, December 2016, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/13530194.2016.1258543.
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