Orthodox Service Raises Storm Calling Women to Torah
October 31, 2014An Orthodox Jewish minyan (prayer quorum of ten men) in Shoham, located just east of Ben Gurion International Airport, has raised controversy by allowing women to be called to and read from the Torah starting this Shabbat.
According to the report in Israel Hayom, the minyan is named Nachat Ruach and meets in a hall at the city’s retirement home, where women have taken an active part in the prayer service. The service has maintained a mechitza partition between male and female worshippers.
It has now been decided that women congregants will also be called to the Torah and read from it, despite Jewish tradition that opposes such practice for several reasons, including the implicit message that no man present is capable of reading from the Torah, and the stance against women singing or performing in public for reasons of modesty.
Women saying the blessings over the Torah reading also directly contravenes Jewish law, which mandates that such blessings can only be made by someone fulfilling a Torah obligation; since women are exempt from the time-bound obligation of reading from the Torah, the blessings are recited in vain which is strictly forbidden.
Chen, one of those opposing the congregation’s decision, said “it goes against Halakha (Jewish law), can create an erosion (of Jewish practice) and is troubling. This isn’t religious Zionism.”
Likewise the city’s chief rabbi, Rabbi David Stav, said “it’s against Halakha.” Rabbi Stav’s positions have been seen as somewhat liberal by some, given a law his Tzohar organization initiated that rabbis have warned may harm the validity of Jewish weddings, and his push for the controversial Conversion bill.
One of the organizers of the minyan defending the move, saying “it’s a loaded issue, like every issue related to women in Judaism. …We are doing everything according to Halakha…today religious women are the CEOs of banks and companies, and only in the synagogue they have no place. …With us they find their place more.”
Jewish traditionalists have argued that the “place” of women in the synagogue is not lacking, even with the fact that it isn’t required and doesn’t include a formal role in the service.
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