Why should gender be a focus for Jewish organizations in America?
Schwarz: Moving Traditions is one of the few Jewish organizations that recognize gender as an important category, is aware of the problems with gender in Judaism, and works toward solutions. Gender roles today, whether for men or women, boys or girls, are too constricting. Judaism’s weight and authority can help the conversation about gender to be taken seriously. At the same time, Judaism, precisely because it has evolved from a patriarchal culture, needs to speak to the issue of gender. When did you first become interested in gender as a topic for activism? Schwarz: For me, gender is an important mode of self-identification and self-definition. In my first job on Wall Street, my mentor was a woman. That was one of my first experiences having a woman as an equal. I didn’t grow up with that. This experience made me realize that we are losing out by not capitalizing on all that women can bring to the table. Moving Traditions is investigating how the Jewish community can better reach boy
