Reform convention offers separate services
First the liberal movements discovered the mikveh. Now the Reform movement is thinking of implementing its own version of yet another politically incorrect Orthodox practice.
The recent biennial convention of the Union for Reform Judaism offered a men-only prayer service.
The rationale:
“Within the Reform movement we’ve confused gender stratification with gender differentiation,” said Barden, a major proponent of the separate-but-equal approach. “We need to reverse the disaffiliation of men without setting the egalitarian clock back 30 years.” Women are more religiously active in most faiths in this country, and have been for a century. But the gender gap in Jewish life, particularly in the liberal movements, has grown greater in recent years.
I recommend the whole article:
Reform Try Separating Sexes in Order to Woo Men Back
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Abbi Said,
December 30, 2007 - 21 Tevet 5768 @ 11:38 AM
Wow, re: the paragraph you quoted: I don’t think I’ve ever read such a long paragraph that says absolutely nothing in a long time.
Ahmed Said,
December 30, 2007 - 22 Tevet 5768 @ 7:53 PM
This is a good step in the right direction. Maybe soon they will force women to wear burkas, like Allah commanded.
AR Said,
December 30, 2007 - 22 Tevet 5768 @ 8:44 PM
I thought you meant the politically incorrect practice of keeping shabbat; R Yoffie called for “increased shabbat observance”: http://urj.org/pr/2007/shabbatobservance/
ora Said,
December 31, 2007 - 22 Tevet 5768 @ 12:06 PM
I thought it was interesting that about halfway through the article they mentioned that men are “the gender that has controlled Judaism for thousands of years.” I might be wrong (and any men here can feel free to correct me if I am), but wouldn’t teaching men that their role throughout history has been to control and oppress women have a tendency to drive them away? IMO the ridiculously simplistic and wrong approach according to which men were living it up throughout history while women suffered is naturally going to alienate men (and many women), separate prayer services or no.
Also, this trend of trying to renew male participation after pushing feminism for decades isn’t only limited to reform. I’ve seen a few articles recently about similar efforts in schools, where many teachers have focused on getting girls to speak up and participate while boys are actually more likely to fail and to drop out. There’s also a push in a few countries, including Israel, to start making custody laws fair to men. IMO this is another example of the same general idea.
mominisrael Said,
December 31, 2007 - 22 Tevet 5768 @ 5:38 PM
AR, the Reform movement never had anything against observing Shabbat (I don’t think). But separating men and women is a different story altogether.
Ora, re your first paragraph, I think you are reading too much into the article. I don’t know that this is a major tenet of Reform ideology. As for your second point, that is why I like the idea of separate classes for boys and girls from an early age.
Ariella Said,
December 31, 2007 - 23 Tevet 5768 @ 6:38 PM
Actually, in its early days, some Reform congregations moved Shabbath observance to Sunday — to be in sync with what the Gentiles did. I don’t know how long tht prevailed.
But the mikvah is appealing to some because of various positive spiritual associations with it. There are nonOrthodox women who use a mikvah.
MizEllie Said,
January 1, 2008 - 23 Tevet 5768 @ 3:29 AM
Happy New Year!
ora Said,
January 1, 2008 - 23 Tevet 5768 @ 2:18 PM
Mother in Israel–
I don’t think it’s a major tenet of Reform ideology, but I do think it’s a widespread mindset in the movement that was (unintentionally) reflected in the article. It leads to disrespect for Chazal, who are seen as chauvanist, and leaves young men with few positive Jewish role models.
I know many women who feel comfortable in reform and conservative (mostly because they like leading prayers), but all of the young men I know became either religious or secular (even if they keep some holidays, they don’t do synagogue). IMO the movement is sending a negative message to men. It could also be that men naturally need a more consistent ideology than reform provides, I don’t know.
mominisrael Said,
January 1, 2008 - 23 Tevet 5768 @ 2:47 PM
Interesting point. I want to think about it.