Orthodoxy, Post-Orthodoxy and religious feminism: the case of the ‘Shirat Rivka’ prayer group

Abstract

ABSTRACT Gender equality in the synagogue space gained momentum and engendered a discourse among religious feminist women in recent decades. In Israel this was accompanied by the harbingers of separate women’s gatherings for prayers and supplication among women of varied backgrounds. This gave rise to the notion of feminine thought in the world of Jewish prayer as opposed to a precise facsimile of men’s prayer. The article focuses on the ‘Shirat Rivka’ prayer group in the Neve-Daniel locality (Gush-Etzion) as a unique case study in this context. It examines the group’s characteristics as a manifestation of Post-Orthodoxy and Orthodox Feminism and offers a new prototype of women’s prayer that enables Orthodox women who do not necessarily view themselves as part of the feminist revolution to be active in this sphere.