ARZA

By Anat Hoffman Talk radio is very popular in Israel. Animated debates on every topic under the sun fill the airwaves every day. One station, Kol BaRama, a station with a large Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) listenership, has the practice of not allowing women to speak on air. They say this is to respect the feelings of [...]

By Rabbi Stacey Blank I am back…after a few month hiatus.  A short explanation of what happened: As my readers may know, last summer I started working at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem.  Along the way, I became involved in young children/ family Shabbat programming  (Among other things, I have been living a long-time dream [...]

By Barbara Kavadias The past year has seen an increase in tension – and even violence – at the Kotel or Western Wall, one of Judaism’s holiest sites. Last Friday, progressive Jews worldwide were disturbed to learn of protests and near-rioting as the Women of the Wall came to pray for Rosh Chodesh at the [...]

There is an old Chinese saying: women hold up half the sky. It would seem that, in this world view, women and their contributions to life are of equal importance to those of men. This does not really speak to the nature of those contributions, if they are the same or different efforts, but that [...]

Last week, Anat Hoffman, leader of Women of the Wall and Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center was arrested at the Western Wall. Anat was praying with more than 200 women when she was taken into custody for wearing a tallit and disturbing public order by praying out loud. Her arrest and the [...]

On Tuesday night, Anat Hoffman, leader of Women of the Wall and Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center, was arrested for praying at the Western Wall. Anat was reciting the Shema with members of the women’s Zionist organization, Hadassah, who are in Israel for their centennial conference. She was detained and held overnight [...]

Activism is the theme of Parshat Pinchas. The first example is Pinchas, acting violently and alone in order to “solve a problem.” For this he is lauded. The daughters of Zlofchad present a picture of activism that is carefully thought out in order to achieve their goals. The Torah recalls them by name. Mahlah, Noah, [...]

By Rabbi Stacey Blank Today’s musings on Israeli society – the real, everyday Israeli society and not the headlines – are from two separate experiences I had officiating at a bat mitzvah and a bar mitzvah.

Can it be that only men were at Sinai? When we read the Asseret HaDibrot this Shavuot, do they apply only to men? Is there some proof that the brain power or the moral worth of a woman is less than a man? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding no.

The News behind the News:  How did Rabbi Alona Lisitsa, a Reform Female Rabbi, become seated on the Religious Council of Mevasseret outside of Jerusalem? Hopefully you will have all learned by now that Rabbi Lisitsa has been named and seated on the Religious Council of Mevasseret, a suburb of Jerusalem.  By all reports, she [...]