Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought

The activities of the feminist movement within the general community have been parallelled within some sectors of the Jewish community by agitation for greater parity for women in matters of religious observance and expression. Rabbinic scholars have long emphasized that the 'differing ritual obligations which Judaism imposes upon men and women reflect the diverse roles and responsibilities associated with the two sexes rather than the relegation of women to a subordinate or inferior position. Nevertheless, in recent years, the restrictions placed upon women's participation in certain ritual observances and their prerogatives with regard to other observances as well as the philosophical perspectives giving rise to these distinctions have been the subject of wide discussion.