The Orthodox Jewess Rabbi Who Wasn’t
By far the most absurd element of the Jerusalem Post’s story about a new Orthodox Woman rabbi — easily outpassing the extremely strained prose and shoddy reporting — is the fact that neither the supposed woman rabbi, nor the rabbi who ostensibly ordained her, actually consider her a rabbi. That’s right, this whole story is about someone who — at most — is considered a rabbi by a bunch of laypeople who’ve decided she is one.
Rabbi Aryeh Strikovsky, well-regarded in modern Orthodox circles, signed Ner-David’s ordination, mentoring and guiding her through her process of study. He is, he tells In Jerusalem, a strong believer in women’s capacity for study and their ability “to swim in the ocean of the Talmud.”
Strikovsky notes that the ordination that he gave to Ner-David is not the same as the more common ordination given to men.
“It is more of an official recognition of her achievements in her studies, that covered exactly the tractates and the issues men have to master in order to get an ordination,” he explains.
“Practically, it is the same, since there is no objection to Ner-David providing answers and religious rulings to women who would come to ask her halachic questions, but in the Orthodox world and society it is not acceptable yet to ordain a woman.”
Strikovsky acknowledges that the ordination was not granted in a particular ceremony. Yet he also says that Ner-David’s knowledge and mastery of Jewish law are remarkable.
[…]
Ner-David says that it is enough for her to receive smicha (ordination) from her revered teacher and that she did not expect him “to be so bold as to actually give her the title ‘rabbi.’
“I have deep respect for Rabbi Strikovsky, and I am so grateful to him for all he has taught me, modeled for me and been willing to risk for what he knew was right,” she says. “His hesitation to give me a title is understandable, but really that was not his role as I see it. He acknowledged my readiness to go out into the world and act in the role of a rabbi and he left it up to my community to decide what title to give me. And it seems to me already that my community has decided that it is ready for a woman rabbi.
“I have been called up to the Torah twice since my ordination, and both times, without my inserting the title myself, the gabbai [sexton] calling me up to the Torah called me up as Harav Haviva. People are already calling me rabbi, and so, it seems that there is a community out there that is actually more ready for this development than some might have thought.”
I know what you’re wondering: what is this particular form of ordination, what does it really mean, and how does it differ from one accorded to male rabbis? Thankfully for the cause of our enduring curiosity, the horribly-done JPost story doesn’t bother to ask such questions, much less seek out answers to them.
You’re probably also wondering who Strikovsky is. Here’s a good summary:
Aryeh Strikovsky was born in Tel Aviv in 1942 and educated at Yeshivat Ha’Darom in Rehovot, the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Yeshiva of Yeshiva University. After completing a BA in economics and an MA and PhD in Bible at Yeshiva University, he taught Jewish Studies at the University of Manitoba and the University of Detroit. He lives with his wife and children in Jerusalem where he teaches at Mahanayim and the Pardes Institute. For twenty years he has edited the Daf L’Tarbut Yehudit (a Jewish Reader’s Digest) for the Israel Ministry of Education, Department of Torah Education.
Rabbi Dr. Strikovsky participated in compiling the Encyclopedia Judaica and has published various articles and books, among them two anthologies, The State in Jewish Thought and Jerusalem in the Thought of Past Generations. He has published two original works: The Ari and Am Ve’Arets — Yeud Ve’Etgar.
I’ve never heard of him, but that sounds generally respectable.
Meanwhile, many of you are probably wondering where you’ll get your hysterically-opposed Orthodox response. Don’t worry, Gil Student’s got one. Why is Student hysterical and not simply Orthodox? Because:
According to this article, which could very well be wrong, Mrs. Ner-David has “been called up to the Torah twice since [her] ordination.” She prays while wearing tefillin and tzitzis. And she speaks of the rabbinate as perpetuating a “patriarchal, hierarchical model.” A book on which she is working discusses, among other things, “creating rituals for miscarriage [and] designing egalitarian Jewish wedding ceremonies that will guarantee women’s equal status during the marriage and in the event of divorce.”
In other words, this is a woman rabbi who speaks and acts like a Conservative rabbi. It’s only news because she calls herself Orthodox. But, according to the article, she is no fool: “She knows that some Orthodox Jews will not accept her ordination and will not acknowledge her religious and social status as a rabbi.” I’d say that “some” is the understatement of the year.
Now, which of those elements speaks specifically against traditional, halachic Judaism? It’s not her being called to the Torah, since that’s pretty broadly acknowledged as halachically fit — with the exception coming from an assumption that such significant change is inappropriate because it either coheres too well with Conservative Judaism or because it is asserted to put the cart of feminism before the horse of Torah-true Judaism. Similarly with tefillin and tallis. Creating a ritual for miscarriage is certainly no different to a halachic perspective than the countless novel rituals added all the time in Judaism, and the contemporary Jewish wedding ceremony (as I’m increasingly coming to understand in my study of the appropriate texts leading up to my own marriage) is probably the least halachically-based element in Jewish life.
This calls to mind some of the discussion in the comments recently that has tried to portray Orthodox Judaism as somehow of direct lineage to the Jewish tradition throughout most of history. But this is increasingly not the case, as it becomes a movement defined more by what it will not allow itself to become and what it will increasingly reject, than by values and elements essential to an earlier model of Judaism.
May 8th, 2006 at 11:07 am
Great post.
None of us can predict whether or not women’s ordination will ever take hold in Modern Orthodoxy, but I am certain that a great majority of ordained women rabbis will have a much deeper commitment to the sanctity of history and social progress than the current establishment.
In short, I think you’re right. Let’s stop playing Student’s name game, and actually look for an answer that’s attractive on its own terms.
May 8th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
The Jerusalem Post should be ashamed of its sloppy standards. Dr. Ben-Ner does not claim to be a rabbi or Orthodox. She is post-denominational. She is also clearly a seeker of publicity. This is the same woman who made a public show of applying to RIETS years ago.
The fact is there are plenty of serious women studying the Talmud who do not seek celebrity. Many of these women have been studying for much longer than Dr. Ben-Ner in much more serious formats. I know several of them and they are amused by the noise surrounding this non-event.
Your observations about the bias of the “journalist” are bang on.
May 8th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
Steve,
You can delete this if you think it is irrelevant.
Symptoms of gynophobia:
Your fear of women can result in the following symptoms:
breathlessness, dizziness, excessive sweating, nausea, dry mouth, feeling sick, shaking, heart palpitations, inability to speak or think clearly, a fear of dying or losing control, a sensation of detachment from reality or a full blown anxiety attack.
You are not the only one to suffer from gynophobia. Most sufferers are surprised to learn that they are far from alone in this surprisingly common, although often unspoken, phobia.
Gynophobia is an intense fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. While adults with gynophobia realize that these fears are irrational, they often find that facing, or even thinking about facing, the feared situation brings on a panic attack or severe anxiety.
May 8th, 2006 at 3:55 pm
This is another in a series of articles that does little to shed light on what smicha is,
I don’t even know what Mrs. Ner-David has been given. Yadid Yadin? Yoreh Yoreh?
Further:
Ordained As Rabbis, Women Tell Secret
By Laurie Goodstein
December 21, 2000
New York Times
….
Mrs. Ner-David, 31, who grew up in suburban New Rochelle, N.Y., said the barriers to women’s ordination were in Orthodox culture, not in Jewish law.
She is studying in Israel at the Pardes Institute with Rabbi Aryeh Strikovsky, who said in an interview that there were precedents in Jewish history for Orthodox women as rabbis. He said he intended to give Mrs. Ner-David smicha, or ordination, when she finished her studies.
But Rabbi Strikovsky said he would probably consult with his colleagues to find a respectful title for her other than rabbi.
‘’The word ‘rabbi’ in Hebrew is for a man only,’’ he said, ‘’unless there will be some revolution in the Hebrew language.’’
…
And Further:
Haviva and Jacob Ner-David are key followers (Jacob is International Chair of Gafni’s Bayit Chadash) of alleged child molester Mordecai/Mordechai/Marc Gafni/Winiarz/Winyarz or whatever his name is this week. What as a result are they or any title they hold worth? Nothing. Same goes for everyone else (particularly the American rabbonim on their board):
see: ...
There is no question in my mind that women should have a greater role in the leadership of Orthodox Judaism and that they have in the past and will in the future. BUT advocates for change are once again backing the wrong person, to their own detriment.
When will women’s groups start standing publicly for women and children who are abused and exploited instead of protecting and promoting the abusers and exploiters AND their enablers?
We need a regime change.
see: ...
Bayit Chadash has emerged from twelve years of teaching and Jewish Renaissance work carried out in Israel by three individuals: Reb Mordechai Gafni, through his teaching, public lectures, private shiurim, seminars and television programs; Reb Avaraham Leader, founder and main spiritual force behind the well known “Leader Minyan, through his teaching and counseling; and Jacob Ner-David, through his social and communal activism.
The shows were conceived and created by Reb Gafni in conjunction with Ofer Wiezman and Zivit Davidovitch, two of Israel’s leading television directors. The show features Reb Gafni’s teaching discussions with leading figures in Israeli society - somewhat of a cross between Bill Moyers and Oprah!! The lay chairs for this project were Jacob and Haviva Ner-David, Rabbi Joe and Rolinda Schonwald and Jonathan and Jane Medved.
…
Jacob Ner David is a social activist in all areas concerning Jewish leadership, Jewish education and environmental issues. He has been particularly involved in efforts to support programs promoting pluralistic and non-denominational Jewish education and enhancement and training of Jewish leaders. Jacob is also a serial entrepreneur in the hi-tech arena. He was a co-founder and Chairman of deltathree.com from 1996 - 2000. He co-founded Ambient Corporation, a data communications company, where he served as Chairman and CEO until 1999. Jacob also founded NomadIQ which was acquired by Omnisky in January 2001. Jacob is a principal of 2bVentures, a venture management firm specializing in communications, information technology and start-up management. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where he specialized in International Financial Transactions. He has a BA and BS degree from City College of New York. In 1989, he was an Isaacs scholar at Oxford University (Mansfield College).
see:
...
Bayit Chadash
Founders
Jacob Ner-David
Board Chairperson. Social activist and entrepreneur.
Avraham Leader
Melamed-in-Residence. One of the founders of “Amiqa d’Bira� (also known as “The Leader Minyan�). Currently studies, teaches, and translates.
Haviva Ner-David
Educational Director. Author, feminist activist, teacher, and scholar.
R. Mordechai Gafni
Rosh Bayit. Student, Rebbe, author, and scholar.
So the woman in question was a founder of a religious movement in Israel led by spiritual leader Mordechai Gafni who has been accused of serious “misbehavior” with children from the Jewish Week to the front page of the Maariv. Most recently that movement had a function led by Gafni where men and women smoked weed, stripped naked and jumped into the sea.
And this has what to do with Judaism?
May 8th, 2006 at 4:17 pm
Tzvee. Seems very relevant to me.
And I’m glad your “Goodbye Canonist” in an earlier thread was hyperbole,
May 8th, 2006 at 10:13 pm
“Now, which of those elements speaks specifically against traditional, halachic Judaism? It’s not her being called to the Torah, since that’s pretty broadly acknowledged as halachically fit — with the exception coming from an assumption that such significant change is inappropriate because it either coheres too well with Conservative Judaism or because it is asserted to put the cart of feminism before the horse of Torah-true Judaism. Similarly with tefillin and tallis.”
Man, you are so damn ignorant!
May 8th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
In what way pray tell is he ignorant? Hello!?
Let the attacks begin, see my predictions at ...
May 9th, 2006 at 12:03 am
“But this is increasingly not the case, as it becomes a movement defined more by what it will not allow itself to become and what it will increasingly reject, than by values and elements essential to an earlier model of Judaism.”
So sad. So true.
By the way, I knew Jacob and Haviva before they were married. She’s a good person. (That being said, the connection of Gafni bothes me.)
May 9th, 2006 at 10:03 am
Actually, it is not at all accepted that women being called to the Torah or wearing tefillin and tzitzis is within the boundaries of halacha. And certainly not advertising that one wears tefillin and tzitzis.
May 9th, 2006 at 11:16 am
Even if not everyone agrees that women being called to the Torah is what should be done, are you actually saying that attending a Women’s Prayer Service, as is done in many Orthodox commmunities, puts one beyond the pale, so that they are more Conservative than Orthodox (leaving aside the fact that, to say the least, there is no need for a Women’s Tefillah Service in the Conservative Movement)
Second of all, from what I have learned, it is within the boundaries of Halakha for women to lay Tefillin, although it is discouraged. (I have never learned Hilchot Women&Tzizit - can you (Gil) point me to the source that says it is against Halakha that women should wear it)
Third, why would admitting that one does these things (assuming they themselves are acceptable) be bad? Is a women outside the pale of Orthodoxy if she admits/”advertises” that she shakes the Lulav on Sukkot?
May 9th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
See my post of the Rav’s comments to me about women’s aliyot (~1973) — ...
There are some excellent articles out there on related subjects such as the Frimer piece at — ...
[PS: What exactly do you mean by “she shakes the lulav”?]
May 10th, 2006 at 7:58 am
Rabbi Strikovsky: “The word ‘rabbi’ in Hebrew is for a man only,’’ he said, ‘’unless there will be some revolution in the Hebrew language.’’
I would like to propose the honorific ‘Rabbit’. (If I remembered who first proposed it I would quote her by name).
May 11th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
The Hebrew Academy has determined that the feminine for Rav (Rabbi) is Rabbah.
R” Moshe Feinstein refers to Reformative rabbis as “Rabbis” transliterated into Hebrew, while an Orthodox rabbi is “Rav so-and-so”. Resh-aleph-bet-bet-yud.
November 27th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
... for parallels