Why is it important for Jewish organizations to focus on gender?
Gender is no longer understood as a received biological fact. Many organizations and institutions in the world are recognizing gender as a conscious construction. Judaism encompasses traditions and points of view that span millennia, and so Judaism needs to acknowledge this change that so many of us already embrace. Also, I feel that Judaism codified some practices that are offensive to some people today – even if they may have been seen as progressive in the past – so it is important to be vocal and let practices evolve. What aspects of Jewish life do you think should be transformed through attention to gender? That is a hard question for me. In a past life, when I was Orthodox and living in Israel, I could answer this question in terms of schools, synagogue and study groups. Today, I would begin to answer this question in terms of my relationship with my children. I want to be able to raise my boys as people first, males second, and I would hope that Judaism could provide a framework
