A Rebbetzin and a Scholar

בירור מקיף על יסוד דין המחיצה, טעמיה והגדרתה. איזו מחיצה כשרה ומהם כללי היסוד המחייבים הפרדה בין גברים לנשים? סקירה הלכתית המסתעפת להשלכות רלוונטיות במיוחד בימינו אנו.

Have you ever sat down on a bus and found that you’re sitting in the women’s section? Came to a rally only to see you’re on the wrong side? At concerts, Simchos, Shiurim; it seems there are Mechitzos just about everywhere. What is the origin of this practice? Are these Mechitzos a sign of strict Jewish observance, or are they an indication of religious fanaticism?

The notion of equality and egalitarianism calls for equal representation of all people in all areas of life. Yet the Torah explicitly exempts women from a number of mitzvah obligations, many of which are highly visible in the synagogue and community setting.
Part II-Mystery of the Mitzvos: Mitzvos are an expression of the Divine Will. How can Jewish mysticism help us understand the role that gender plays in the performance of Mitzvos?
Will the current framework that falls along gender lines change with the arrival of Moshiach?

See also Part I-Understanding the Exemption

The notion of equality and egalitarianism calls for equal representation of all people in all areas of life. Yet the Torah explicitly exempts women from a number of mitzvah obligations, many of which are highly visible in the synagogue and community setting.
Part I-Understanding the Exemption: Does this exemption apply only to those mitzvos whose fulfillment is restricted to particular times? Does the unique calling of a Jewish woman impact the scope of her mitzvah obligations?
Is there any substance to the claim ascribing this dispensation to the woman’s “higher level of holiness”? Is this sourced in traditional Torah scholarship?

See also Part II-Mystery of The Mitzvos

May a female singing hopeful be
trained by a male voice instructor? This paper analyzes a whole host of halachic
issues that are essential to deciding this question. These include a
discussion of the isur of kol isha; the problematic nature of an
occupation that requires direct engagement with those of the opposite gender,
including doctors, schoolteachers and others; the isur of yichud
and its applications, and a number of halachic precedents to facilitate a sound
conclusion.

בתקופתינו הנוכחית, עדים אנו לתופעות חדשות בכל הנוגע למעמד האשה ביהדות. מעל כל ספק, מכבדת התורה את מעמדה, עד כי לעתיד ׳נקבה תסובב גבר׳. עם זאת, ההלכה קובעת תנאי כשרות המועמדים לתפקידים תורניים ציבוריים. לפנינו בירור מקיף על דבר מינוי האשה לתפקידים אלו. כל כבודה בת מלך פנימה.