“Spirituality amid dogma?” Exploring religious education in the Orthodox school system
The following article, published in the current issue of The Journal of Jewish Education, explores the difference between education for Orthodox religiousness and education for spirituality. The article, based on bits of my doctoral research, argues that the dogmatic, linear, "you're either in or out" approach that characterizes much of Orthodox education, does not leave much room for spirituality. So often, religiousness is instilled as an end product, a monolithic corpus of ideas to be singularly transmitted and subsequently owned by youth. In reality, though, youth are thirsting for opportunities to grapple, question, and wrestle with profound theological and philosophical issues—a process that ultimately leads to a richer religious identity. Spirituality amid dogma? Some approaches to educating for religious belief within in a State-Religious school in Israel :
I like being religious. But sometimes, I hate the way the rabbis preach things. I like to see what’s written, the Mishna, the Gemara, the Torah…and to do what they tell me. But I hate that the rabbis philosophize all the time. I don’t go to any rabbis or anything, I don’t like all that rubbish…. but I am religious the way I think I should be. (Tamar, 14).Read the rest of this entry →
I don't know about you, but I'm a little uncomfortable with the way rabbis and poskim freely discuss the bodies of little girls. Sure, we can call it halakha if we want. But really, when rabbis talk about how girls need to cover their bodies, aren't they bordering, just a tad, on pedophilia? What exactly do rabbis mean when they say that a girl needs to wear skirts? Or long sleeves? Or whatever latest mishugas is on the order of the day, from braids to socks to cellphones?
When President Obama uttered the words "women's rights" during his speech at Cairo University last week, my ears perked up. The fact that a US president is putting women's rights up there on the international agenda -- on par with peace in the Middle East, no less -- is indeed historic. That he has the guts to say to a room full of Egyptian men that women's rights in the Muslim world are a topic that needs addressing, was quite a thrill. The fact that there was some applause after he made that opening statement, "the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights," was absolutely startling. Signs of change, perhaps.
But when Obama started to outline the details of his vision for women's rights in the Muslim world, that's when I started to bristle. 
Despite rumors to the contrary, I am fairly certain that Ruth did not convert to Judaism. At least not by today’s standards. Even though we celebrate Ruth as the quintessential convert, the fact is, she became Jewish without doing any of the things that the rabbis would have demanded of her in the modern state of Israel. The Book of Ruth has no mention of dipping naked into mikva. There is no mention of three haredi men watching, and asking her all kinds of prodding questions. There is no interrogation. No studying of halakha for years. No coming to her house and checking how she makes tea on Shabbat. I mean, chances are she didn’t even keep Shabbat or kashruth. What, you think when Naomi left Israel to be the only Jews in Moab, her sons married Moabite women but she was actually using two sets of dishes and putting a plata on her stove on Shabbat? It’s ridiculous. Elimelech and Naomi left Israel for ten years without ever looking back. They left because there was a famine and bread was more important than heritage. The Jewish people was not important to Elimelech, he let his sons marry local women, and never made plans to go back to Israel. So, really, what are the chances that he kept a kosher home over there in Moab? I’d say between slim and nil. Ruth probably never even heard of Shabbat. 
The blogosphere is abuzz with news of the new program opening up for women to become clergy in the Orthodox world. “Maharat,” the title being granted to women graduates of the program, a cumbersome acronym for something like “spiritual, religious, Torah teacher,” is being touted by JOFA as “an historic moment for the Jewish people” in that it “ordains” women as “clergy.” JOFA announced that Sara Hurwitz, the first Maharat in history, “has passed the same tests required for rabbinic ordination that entitle men to be called Rabbi. We trust that Yeshivat Mahara"t will offer this same opportunity to other qualified women so that they can take their rightful position in Orthodox leadership.”
Although it is encouraging to see so many people come out in support of women’s advancement in Jewish life, the announcement is disingenuous and troubling. 
