Wednesday February 5, 2014
In Jewish history class part of my final
grade is to create a blog. I am to post two blogs a week talking about things
that I have done in those 7 days. A new
element that my teacher has also added is blogging our response about a current
issues related to Jews all around the world. For this week my blog topic is how
in New York a modern orthodox high schools have recently allowed girls to wear
tefillin.
In December of 2013 Rabbi Tully Harcsztark
head of SAR High School, a modern orthodox school in Riverdale New York,
announced that they will be allowing two young girls to wear tefillin while praying
at school. These two young girls both started wrapping tefillin in the privacy
of their own home just after they had their Bat Mitzvah. According to orthodox traditions a women is
considered to be the “backbone” of the family. They are to tend to the kids,
make the food and clean the house. They, too have mitzvot from god. Women are
to cover their hair after they are married because their hair is seen as a sign
of beauty. The women are to wear long and modest clothing because it is viewed
as disrespectful otherwise. Pants are considered to be men’s clothing. Nowhere in the Torah does it say women are
not obligated to preform the same mitzvot as men. But they are seen as less privileged
to do so. Because it is woman who are mainly responsible for the family in
orthodox traditions they are almost dismissed from performing the same mitzvot
as men. Also in ancient times, men did not want to consider the fact that a
women was smarter or better than he was at reading and that is where the “law”
in the orthodox world came from that women can not read Torah. As a reform Jewish girl I believe I am bias when
it comes to this issue because I believe that men and women are 100% equal. I
understand that to an Orthodox person this is considered unholy because it
breaks from tradition. But if you consider yourself modern orthodox you need to
be able to adjust to modern times, where men and women are equal and can live
life with the same laws. Personally I
think its a positive that this Modern Orthodox school is allowing girls to wear
tiffillin. We live in equal society therefore religion needs to keep with tradition
but keep up with modern time at the same time.
I completely agree. I see where they are coming from as it does break tradition, but an Orthodox rabbi wouldnt have made this decision lightly. He obviously thought about the consequences and made his choice anyways. I belive he is a pioneer in the Orthodox community
ReplyDeleteI agree that men and women are equal, but in regards to religion I believe there are certain mitzvot for men and certain mitzvot for women. It doesn't matter whether or not a woman can put on tifillin because there are other important things that she is obligated to do that a man can not. The same thing goes for men. There are certain things that a man can do that a woman should not. I understand that it is not something that goes against anything, except traditional values. It all depends on how the person feels comfortable and how they connect to God.
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