Rabbi Yuval Sherlow on the Synagogue
Ynet has published an article (Hebrew) about changes which Rabbi Yuval Sherlow wants to make in the architecture and functioning of the synagogue (Orthodox) in order for it to be more welcoming to women. He isn’t necessarily so liberal when it comes to some things and many of these things have been standard in many American Orthodox synagogues for years. My guess is that Rabbi Sherlow probably also sees these changes as a way of preventing even greater changes from taking hold within the Orthodox community, a sort of pre-emptive strike.
Update: Ynet has some responses to Rabbi Sherlow’s initiative. Here is a report on the initiative in English. Tzohar, which Rabbi Sherlow is a member of, says that this doesn’t represent their opinion, and Rabbi Prof.Daniel Sperber says that this initiative won’t please anybody and that there is no reason why there has to be one approach to the issue.
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 am
Interesting points. He skirts some of the issues, for example, female lay leadership by suggesting a partnership in leadership, but I suspect he would prohibit a female shul president as sole leader (or the equivalent in an Israeli beit k’nesset).
He also kind of fudges the women’s tefillah group by prohibiting women’s minyanim, without necessarily addressing the issue of women’s groups that aren’t minyanim (i.e., no devarim sh’b'kedusha). If you’re allowing a women’s torah reading, why not appropriate davening before and after?