Jewish Women Discuss Feminism, Religion

Participants from around the country gathered at Hillel this weekend to explore the issues facing modern Jewish women as they try to balance secular and religious life.

The conference, entitled Jewish Superwomen: Living in Two Realms, brought together secular and religious perspectives to examine the two aspects of a Jewish woman's life--feminist career ambitions and traditional religious values--through a series of panels and workshops.

The motivation for the conference, sponsored by Harvard Hillel, came from its organizers' experiences trying to juggle a traditional religious life and a career-oriented secular education.

"There are discrepancies between the life I lead as an Orthodox Jew and the life I lead as a secular egalitarian," said Conference Co-chair Rebecca A. Rakow '01.

Wendy Wasserstein, a Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist, and Dr. Susan J. Blumenthal, the Assistant Surgeon General and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health, spoke Friday about the secular successes of Jewish women.

"We wanted to provide examples of women who had succeeded in a secular world while maintaining their faith," Rakow said.

Novelist Rebecca Goldstein led a workshop about how she draws on her personal conflict as a Jewish woman in her writing.

"Choosing Orthodoxy limits you; it closes off options," Goldstein said. "That's fine for some women and it is a voluntary choice, but some of the rules of Orthodoxy unnecessarily limit women."

Goldstein, who said she is not religiously observant, added that she thinks feminism and Judaism are not mutually exclusive.

"I don't think your choice of religion should restrict you choice of career," Goldstein said. "It's just so important."

Across from Goldstein's workshop in Sever Hall, other women offered a different option: a union of career and Judaism in the role of rabbi.

"Some women are repelled by what they see as anti-feminist traditions in the religion, but I want to go into the religion because of my feminist beliefs," said Tammy Shoham, a Hillel Fellow and conference participant. "I want to be a rabbi in part because I'm a woman and I can."

The same diversity of thought and belief filled the lecture halls during an interdenominational panel discussion Saturday.

"God revealed Himself and His will to a select group of people. It is our duty to dedicate our lives to following God's law and accomplishing His work," said Elkie Zarchy, who a member of Chabad Lubavitch, a Hasidic Jewish group based in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Conservative Rabbi Elyse A Winick offered a less prescriptive interpretation of the faith.

"Having a set of limits and boundaries doesn't mean that all is forbidden, just that there are guidelines. It is an intimate issue that must be decided on a personal level, " Winick said.

Conference organizers set as their goals to explore, rather than attempt to reconcile, the differences within Judaism and the countless paths available to Jewish women.

"Women came together from different backgrounds and showed how they maintained their traditions and their goals," said Lisa R. Katz, who attended the conference.

"We're not going to find all of the answers," Katz continued. "But at least we're asking the questions."