Tyipcal Beis Yaakov student These kinds of innovations skirt Halacha and have historically never been accepted by women. I am not going to get into all the pros and cons other than to say I am opposed to breaking with tradition in ways that are influenced by ideals not consistent with the Torah, like full equality in all areas of life including religion.
The guiding principle should – in my view – be NOT to serve God the way WE want, but to serve Him the way HE wants. That is determined by the Torah via Halacha and the Mesorah – traditions handed down through the ages. Unless there is a Hora’as Shah ( an existential crisis) the Mesorah should not change.
I obviously place myself into the former category of feminist.
Which brings me back to Talia Weisberg. I believe she probably falls into that category as well. While as a feminist there were many things in her Beis Yaakov education that were hard for her to swallow, like – among other things – the excessive emphasis on Tznius – her overall experience was very positive.
Here is what she said in addressing her Beis Yaakov education:
So no, you were not without your negatives. But with the space of a year sans pleated skirts and collared shirts to reflect, I realize that I gained much more from you than I ever thought I would. I don’t think that I am a feminist despite my Bais Yaakov education, but because of it.
Although some might find it ironic, you provided me with many more learned female role models than my elementary school did. I certainly had my share of women teachers when I was younger, but they were not as respected as the rabbis, particularly those rabbis who taught the boys’ classes.
During my four years in Bais Yaakov, the only male Judaic studies teachers I had taught halakha andh ashkafa, so text-based classes were always woman-led. Consequently, there was never any doubt in my (or any other student’s) mind that women are capable of learning and mastering religious texts and any accompanying commentary.
Beyond the classroom, you definitely tried to promote the model of an educated frum (observant) woman who can lead others and hold her own in a religious or secular arena. Principals were always female and Orthodox, as were guidance counselors and administrators. We were frequently addressed by women speakers, whether they were delivering words of Torah or lectures on genetic testing.
I feel that my time in high school is better characterized by the all-girls environment, in which my friends and I were able to laugh with each other unselfconsciously. By the strong friendships I made, and keep to this day. By the high level of Judaic and secular learning I didn’t even realize I received until I got to college. By the strong women I learned from, both inside and outside the classroom.
What an amazing level of maturity this young woman had even at age 14 – the age when she most likely entered high school.
JOFA and My Jewish Learning should be given credit for publishing this article. It shows an uncharacteristic open-mindedness to a type of feminism with which they might not necessarily see eye to eye in the current zeitgeist. It also shows there is room in the feminist tent for people like Talia… and for people like me.