Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought

The problem of "mixed pews" versus "separate pews" in the synagogue is one which has engaged the attention of the Jewish public for a number of years. It has been the focus of much controversy and agitation. More often than not, the real issues have been obscured by the strong emotions aroused. Perhaps if the reader is uninitiated in the history and dialectic of Jewish religious debate in mid-twentieth century America, he will be puzzled and amused by such serious concern and sharp polemics on what to him may seem to be a trivial issue. If the reader is thus perplexed, he is asked to consider that "trivialities" are often the symbols of issues of far greater moment. Their significance often transcends what is formally apparent, for especially in Judaism they may be clues to matters of principle that have far-reaching philosophic consequences. In our case, the mechitzah (the physical partition between the men's and women's pews) has become, in effect, a symbol in the struggle between two competing ideological groups. It has become a cause célèbre in the debate on the validity of the Jewish tradition itself and its survival intact in the modern world. I. The terms "mixed pews," "separate seating," and mechitzah are used interchangeably in this essay. While there are important halakhic differences between some of these terms, the fundamental principles upon which they are based, and with which this essay is concerned, remain the same. TRADITION: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought