Women are charting the way forward in Orthodox Judaism

PETA KROST MAUNDER

When the flyers and emails went out announcing this special reading, Nina Cohen – who is on the Greenside Shul’s board of directors – said she expected a maximum of 20 women to join. More than 50 arrived from all over Johannesburg. They were young and old, observant and secular. All were Orthodox and keen to be a part of this event.

“What made it so historic was that firstly, it was in an Orthodox shul, and secondly, it proudly advertised itself as a women’s Megillah reading by and for women,” said Adina Roth, an Orthodox Torah educator who led the reading.

“Over the years, there have been a handful of Orthodox rabbis in the South African Jewish community who have affirmed in private that it is fine, and even admirable, that women read the Megillah for themselves on Purim. But because of the conservative nature of the community, they have never had the courage to say this in public,” Roth said.

“This was a watershed moment for our community because Rabbi [Mendel] Rabinowitz and his community had the courage to say something halachically true and empowering to women, in the open.

“What resulted from this was an opening of the floodgates. Many of them said they had never heard the Megillah read so clearly before. Some of them were moved to tears. It was a very empowering experience for everyone present, not just the readers.”

Greenside Shul’s Rabbi Rabinowitz explained that Cohen had approached him, saying she had heard of Megillah readings for women and that they had been happening overseas for years, as well as in small groups in South Africa – albeit on the quiet.

“She asked if I would do some research into whether there are halachic precedents that allowed for it, and so I did,” said Rabinowitz. “There is a growing number of Orthodox women who want to participate more actively in rituals, where possible. However, the rabbinate spends a lot of time trying to keep them doing what they always do, rather than being brave and encouraging them to participate in areas that are actually open to them.”

Rabinowitz explained that women are exempt from certain positive commandments that are governed by time, like sitting in the sukkah on Sukkot. However, although Purim falls under such a commandment, women are obligated to hear the Megillah because of Queen Esther’s role in it. “Because women have this obligation, they can read it for other women. There are instances of women reading the Megillah in rabbinic literature going back hundreds of years.

“We may be travelling a new path, but we are not going against Orthodox Judaism. To the contrary, we are taking it to a new level.”

Roth maintains that most women have been tentative in pushing for this in the open because they’ve feared a reprisal. “In 1995, a group of women attempted a halachic, women-only Torah reading on Simchat Torah. On the very day it was to take place, it was aborted by men in the community.

“The following year, a group of women decided to get together to lein the Megillah for Purim. We thought this would be less controversial than reading from the Torah. Also, we needed to do something to heal the trauma of the year before.

“We divided the Megillah among us and learned it. There were daughters of rabbis among us. We did it at a private home. It attracted more than 50 women and was hugely successful, festive and healing. Since then, we’ve done it in private almost every year.”

Because of the 1995 backlash, the activity of women reading the Megillah has become somewhat of “an underground movement”, says Roth. That is, until this Purim in Greenside.

Says Cohen: “Six women leined the Megillah clearly, slowly and meticulously, with such expression.

“The story of Esther, who with courage, wisdom and sensitivity helped to save the Jews from annihilation, was so poignant. The story came alive. It was personal – we were involved… and drew inspiration from it.”

Cohen participated as a leiner for the first time last week. “I felt embraced by the community, by the women around me,” she says. “I felt connected to our past, our history and our traditions. I savoured the taste of this small success, the fruit of endless work and creativity at Greenside Shul. I felt such pride to be the initiator.”

Cohen pays tribute to Rabbi Rabinowitz for being open to new ideas and masterfully balancing past tradition with halacha.

“He comfortably straddles two worlds: the modern secular and the Orthodox Jewish. He understands his constituency and is aware of the need to innovate. He understands the imperative of making Jewish spirituality relevant and accessible to more people who do not necessarily come from a very observant background.”

For many of the women attending, it was the first time they really heard and understood the Megillah because of the way it was read. “It was like a drama unfolding,” says Cohen.

Loren Shepard, a member of Yeshiva College Shul, texted Cohen the next day, saying: “Thank you for organising the most inspiring Purim leining I have ever heard… and I grew up frum, so I have heard many! Today you made history within South African Orthodoxy… I’m proud to have been part of it.”

Other women, who chatted afterwards at the Seuda, marvelled at how special it was to have been a part of the proceedings.

“I have always felt sidelined in my own religion because I am female,” said one woman. “We even have to sit apart from the action and this has made me feel like a second-class Jew. Despite this, I am proudly Jewish and Orthodox because it is what I know, love and understand. For the first time, I felt like I was a part of this religion. Long may this last.”