Once again there is controversy in Israel over the claim of some Jewish women to equality in worship and expression of their faith. The latest stir came as ads were posted on buses by the group Women of the Wall, which seeks to achieve equality at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray. The advertisements showed girls and women wearing prayer shawls and holding a Torah scroll — rituals seen by many Orthodox Jews as reserved for men only. Many of the signs have been vandalized because they promote Bat Mitzvah ceremonies for girls at the Western Wall. The coming-of-age ceremonies for girls are only allowed to be held at a nearby prayer site, designated for worshippers who don’t follow the orthodox tradition.
Every time I see stories such as these I'm startled, and I'm aware that we are still a long way from equality, in no small part because of fundamentalist religion. It certainly isn't exclusive to Judaism, or Islam for that matter. I follow threads of conversations on Twitter in which Christian women are attacked viciously for claiming equality with men. Many denominations still do not ordain women nor recognize their calls to ministry in other that secondary roles. It is so far from the current experience in the United Church, with women in virtually every leadership role, although there are still inequalities in opportunity in our denomination.
Do you remember times when women were restricted in their leadership opportunities, or viewed as second-class to men? Do you feel that there is equality in your denomination now, or are there still "glass ceilings?"
No comments:
Post a Comment