Hartman Senior Educators Forum 2014-15

Gender and Power in Jewish Life

Gender and our changing perceptions of gender spark much Jewish thinking about leadership and authority.

This year the Senior Educators Forum asks:
Does Judaism promote problems of gender and power? Does it offer solutions? Can Jewish ethics respond to gender inequality?

This year the Senior Educators Forum will explore:
How does gender relate to Jewish life and what does the Jewish tradition offer to our understanding of gender and gender-specific roles.  Studying a variety of Jewish texts and interpretations from a Jewish values point of view, the Forum will host a dialogue between ancient ideas and contemporary assumptions and practices.

Sample topics for this year:

1. God and Gender
   How do we understand the gendered God of Jewish tradition? Does God's '"gender"' affect the notion of authority and power in Jewish tradition? Does human morality deviate from divine morality? Is there room for human authority? What makes an ethic "divine"?
2. The Community and the Individual
   Are we born into gender, power, and authority or socialized into specific roles? How does Jewish tradition consider gender vs. sex? Can views of gender be imposed on others? What determines a Jewish authority? How should we relate to other Jewish communities’ authorities and decisions?
3. The Ethics of Responsibility
   How should the Jewish community engage with those who don’t fit into traditional gender norms? Who should have power to render these decisions; what are the ethics of authority, the checks and balances? How do we prevent corruption and hold authority figures accountable? What is our ethical responsibility to gender parity in the allocation of communal power? What is our ethical responsibility to the non-egalitarian? What is our ethical responsibility to sex differences? Are the ethics of power and authority different in the religious realm?
4. The Role of Money
   Does money influence communal and religious authorities and how extensive should this influence be? Can we generate a community structure where money does not equate to power? Can the high cost of Jewish living continue without money signifying success? How do we integrate equal pay for equal work into our communities and ensure gender parity in compensation?
5. Gender and Power in the Family
   What is a Jewish family? Is there an ideal? What authority should parents exercise over children? How do we envisage healthy power dynamics between spouses? What is an ethical use of sex and education in a relationship? How do we encourage families to balance careers with home life? How should the Jewish community treat single-parent families or those with same-sex parents? How should the Jewish community treat families of authority figures?
6. Tradition and Innovation
   Have our views of gender evolved? How should authority and power be inherited or passed down? With our damage to our tradition, how can we encourage gender integration and include all members of our community as decision makers? Have the internet and other communication technologies disrupted traditional Jewish power and authority? Can we re-engage young people who are disinclined to engage with the institutional community? How will Jewish authorities cope with the pace of societal change?
7. Community and Leadership
   What is ideal Jewish leadership? What are the traits of a leader? Who should hold power and authority in our community? What obligations to the community does a Jewish leader bear? What responsibilities do leaders of different communities have towards one another? What does gender equality add to, or subtract from, our notions of authority? How can we foster gender parity in Jewish communal leadership?