Modern Judaism

It is no secret that Zionism is about men.¹ Conceived by men at a time of well-defined gender roles, its primary concern was to create a new Jewish male.² Even in recent years, when the question of Zionist identity has lost its relevance either because it became a fait accompli, or because it became unfashionable in the post-modern age, it is still about men. Thus even such a fervent post-Zionist and self-proclaimed feminist as D. Boyarin still meditates over the making of the Zionist male.³

Within the growing post-modern tendencies of Israeli society, the only community still immersed in a Zionist discourse is the National Religious Jewry.⁴ Surprisingly, perhaps for the first time ever, this discourse includes the long neglected figure of the Zionist woman. Without any doubt, the impressive work undertaken by religious feminists in recent years has spurred the process.⁵ Thanks to their activities, the long suppressed question of gender asymmetry within Judaism, has gradually become a legitimate part of the public discourse.⁶ Yet, despite a definite change in overall tone, most of the National Religious Movement, including most of its women, still consider the feminist struggle for equality dangerous and subversive.⁷

Nevertheless, as it often happens, intensive activities at the fringes of a society stir up commotion at the heart of the consensus. Among other things this feminist unrest alerted the spiritual leadership of National Religious Jewry to the need to confront the problem of discontent with gender inequality brewing in Orthodox Judaism. It became clear that the staggering contrast between the virtual exclusion of women from the most important parts of religious life and endless opportunities opened to them in secular society would sooner or later erode the foundations of the community.⁸

Although not ready for any changes in the realm of the Law, these leaders realized the need to reinforce the sense of belonging of the female members of the community. At the practical level this task is [End Page 64] carried out through the educational process that constantly emphasizes the ideological tasks and responsibilities of religious women.⁹

Yet at the more general level it became obvious that the very concept of femininity was in need of thorough revision.¹⁰ The modern religious woman, usually a college graduate, a professional and a breadwinner, no longer complies with the ideal of "All glorious is the princess within her chamber" (Psalm 45:13). Once having abandoned the private sphere to find her place in a competitive mixed environment, she could no longer live up to the ideals of silence, modesty and passivity.

While the above social processes reflect global changes and hence are not peculiar to the National Religious movement, there are specific local reasons for a change of image. Due to the political involvement of National Religious Jewry, religious women have acquired tremendous importance as political activists. Perhaps for the first time in Jewish history, women as an organized body became a vital political and even physical force.¹¹ Images of hundreds of young women blocking highways, barricading themselves on roofs, actively resisting police and military made the old stereotype of good-natured matriarch anachronistic and even ridiculous. In such circumstances the search for new visions of femininity becomes inevitable. These new visions must both legitimize the actual phenomenon and set educational standards. Yet in a religious society any change must be grounded in an existing tradition. Since Jewish post-biblical literature contains but a meager stock of prominent feminine figures who could serve as role models, the standard procedure would be to update the characteristics of biblical heroines.¹²

One of the people who should be, undoubtedly, identified with this revision of femininity is Rabbi Shlomo Aviner.¹³ Rabbi Aviner, a devoted follower of Rabbi Tsvi Yehuda Ha-Cohen Kook's ideology,¹⁴ has established himself as the most prominent religious leader of the decade in National Religious Jewry. During the last few years he published a wide range of books intended for female readers. While some deal with purely halachic...