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42
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1988
Orthodox Woman
Confronts Establishment
LESLIE J. GOTTESMAN
F
or a large proportion of
the Israeli population,
the proverbial "Woman
of Valor" may well refer to
Leah Shakdiel, a school-
teacher living in a develop-
ment town in the south of
Israel. The recent election of
this Orthodox woman to the
city of Yeroham's religious
council has aroused con-
troversy on some of the most
basic issues facing the
modern Jewish state. In-
advertently, Shakdiel has
become a cause celebre.
Both in the media and in
person, Shakdiel looks
similar to so many Israeli
women of her generation in
the religious-Zionist camp.
Her clothes and bearing are
modest and unpretentious.
The beret that covers most of
her hair, worn in deference to
traditional Jewish customs of
modesty relating to the mar-
ried woman in Jewish law,
frames a disarmingly shy
smile. There is nothing con-
ventional, however, in
Shakdiel's determination to
hold fast to principles and in-
novations that have aroused
the opposition of numerous
leaders of the religious
establishment, including the
chief rabbinate of Israel.
Yeroham, a development
town of 6,000 comprised
mainly of Moroccan,
Yemenite and Indian im-
migrants, is located 90 miles
south of Jerusalem. Shakdiel
moved there with a group of
young professionals dedicated
to ideals of the '60s: peace,
ecology and social respon-
sibility. In the 10 years she
has lived there, she married
Moshe Landsman, had three
children, assumed a full time
teaching job and held a posi-
tion on the city council. But
a commitment to preserve
Halachah, Jewish religious
law, led Shakdiel to accept an
appointment to the religious
council of Yeroham.
For millenia, committees
administering the religious
requirements of Jewish com-
munities — including the con-
struction and maintenance of
synagogues, ritual bath
houses and kashrut supervi-
sion consisted entirely of
men. Although most rabbis
agree that these ad-
ministrative bodies do not
determine Halachah (which
would traditionally prohibit
women's participation),
female representation on
these councils is a departure
from tradition.
When Shakdiel's appoint-
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Leah Shakdiel: Woman of Valor.
ment in 1986 became official,
several members of the
Yeroham council threatened
to leave their posts. At a
Jerusalem' forum called
"Women and -Spiritual
Leadership" dedicating the
Lindenbaum Women's In-
stitute of Jewish Studies,
Shakdiel said "I am breaking
social and psychological boun-
daries, not halachic limita-
tions."
When Israel's chief rabbis
expressed their opposition to
the appointment and then-
Religious Affairs Minister
Yosef Burg rejected the list of
nominees because her name
was among them, Shakdiel
petitioned the Israel Supreme
Court. Her appointment,
however, sets no precedent, as
a woman previously served in
the same capacity on the Beit
Shemesh religious council
and no one vehemently
objected.
The Supreme Court upheld
Shakdiel's appointment,
granting Religious Affairs
Minister Zevulun Hammer
30 days to seat Shakdiel on
the council. The chief rabbis
of Israel, in response, accused
the high court of interfering
with rabbinical authority and
strongly discouraged the men
on the Yeroham council from
sitting with Shakdiel for
"reasons of modesty."
"Only this time," said
Chana Safrai, director of the
Lieberman Institute of
Talmud Torah for Women,
"there's no way to stop this
development. The presump-
tion that you leave all deci-
sions in men's hands is not
workable in modern times."
Resolution of issues signifi-
cant to Jewish identity will
ultimately be resolved
Israeli courts, both secular
and religious. It is in the
hands of people like Leah
Shakdiel to determine the
kind of society.
World Zionist Press Service