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Watch for
Paul. Kohn's
Quality Kosher
Catering
Passover Menu

To appear in the center of the

March 13th edition of

THE JEWISH NEWS

KOSHER

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CATERING

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QUALITY

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Baltimore. She put her thumbprint
nuptial agreements, the sexual strug-
on the movement five years ago,
gle of single women, expanding
composing for women's prayer
roles in the synagogue and home,
groups an invocation for agunot, or
domestic violence, reclaiming a
women who are halachically chained
mother's name in ceremony, women's
to their marriages because their hus-
Purim Megillah reading, and the
bands refuse to grant them a get, or
application of halachic interpreta-
Jewish divorce.
tions by the late Orthodox Rabbis
"The conference was as stimulat-
Moshe Feinstein and Joseph
ing as the first — very serious and
Soloveitchik.
very scholarly," said Ms. List, pub-
"It was fantastic," said Rena
lisher of an online Jewish travel mag
Rotenberg, grandmother and early
Photo by E. Baron/Media childhood pro-
azine and a mar-
ried mother of
gram coordina-
three. "The con-
tor. "I was in
ferences did not
awe of these very
eschew the power
knowledgeable
of Halachah. On
women. "
the other hand,
This year,
they don't say,
conference orga-
'Let's not do this
nizers recruited
because our grand-
speakers from
mothers didn't do
across the spec-
this.' Things are
trum, including
changing. It's very
the right-wing
exciting."
community that
Even longtime
tends to observe
activists such as
from the side-
principal Shira
lines.
Breuer who
Henna White,
spoke about her
a Lubavitcher
Jerusalem girls
who serves as a
high school Pelech
community liai-
that teaches
son with the
women's issues
Brooklyn, N.Y.,
through Halachah
district attorney's
A woman in a tallit at the Western
and the arts
office, discussed
Wall.
came to re-ener-
misconceptions
gize.
about "ultra-
"We're on the front lines — we
Orthodox" women, while representa-
write the curriculum that eventually
tives from the Conservative and
becomes customary in other
Reform movements lectured to par-
schools," Ms. Breuer said.
ticipants about women's gains.
"But dealing with these issues
"They [Conservative and Reform]
alone is tiring. You need to be revi-
went through the process," Ms.
talized. So it is very exciting coming
Greenberg said. "Even though we have
here, speaking to my own people in
different agendas, we respect each other.
my language. It gives you strength to
It's substantively important and symbol-
continue. I wish my girls were here."
ically important that they came."
Participants came to network and
New York philanthropist Zelda
take stock of the inroads they have
Stern advised women that "money can
made since last year, while assessing
affect change," and to donate only to
new objectives. But their most
those Orthodox organizations that
remarkable achievement perhaps is
promote equality and assist women.
that their once-heretic movement has
Especially significant, said Ms.
finally gone mainstream.
Greenberg, was the growing partici-
"The Jewish feminist enterprise is
pation of men. Not only did men
no longer a fringe group," said Ms.
comprise roughly 10 percent of the
Greenberg, who noted that the
audience, but 17 male rabbis and
movement is establishing the Jewish
academics spoke or moderated. That
Orthodox Feminist Alliance, a grass-
doesn't include the additional dozen
roots advocacy organization.
who asked to participate.
The dozens of intriguing sessions,
"It has to be a partnership," Ms.
presented by scholars, rabbis and
Greenberg said. "Women can't do it
activists to standing-room audiences,
alone, being that rabbis hold the
included topics on pre- and post-
authority and power, the interpretive

IP

P

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3/6
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37