Discrimination Against Women within Reform
With the Women of the Wall making headlines time and again one may begin to think that all these women do is try to come up with new ways to fight the Orthodox. Surprisingly these women have found something to fight about even on their home turf. In her campaign for equality Rabbi Mary Zamore led a four year battle- against the Reform movment.
- Abe Aron
- כ"ד אייר התשע"ו
יונתן זינדל, פלאש 90
Forty four years have passed since the Reform movement ordained its first female Rabbi in 1972. Since then over 700 women have joined the ranks of the Reform clergy, and up until four years ago no one seemed to notice that their ordination certificates differed from those of their male colleagues.
The Reform movement has always honored their rabbis with the term “morenu harav.” And the women's ordination certificates bore the title “rav u’morah.”
For four decades no one seemed to notice or care. But then Rabbi Mary Zamore , executive director of the Reform Women's Rabbinic Network decided that the discrepancy in titles is discriminatory. To her being referred to as "rabbi and teacher" as opposed to being called, "our teacher the rabbi" was a symbolic reminder that even within the Reform movement there were still barriers to complete equality.
Mary took her complaint to Rabbi David Ellenson who was then president of Hebrew Union College (HUC) four years ago. It took the task force headed by Rabbi Michael Marmur three years to consult with experts and decide to change the terminology. Now female rabbis will be able to choose between the titles “rabboteinu harav” and “rabboteinu harabba”.
In an interview with JTA Rabbi Mary Zamore said, “There was a discomfort [at HUC] with giving her [Rabbi Sally Priesand, the first female rabbi ordained in America] the same title” as the men. “Our teacher the rabbi” is “auspicious and used since the first ordination at HUC, so it’s in the line of tradition. It speaks of the community. That’s the whole idea of a chain of tradition and ordaining, that the community is standing behind you saying ‘we believe in your authority.’”
In contrast, she said, “Rav u’morah is a nice statement of ordination. It’s just bland, pareve. The fact that it is different is problematic.”
Now that the issue of equality in terminology has finally been settled female rabbis can continue their struggle for equality within the Reform movement by addressing the pay gap between male and female rabbis. Female rabbis make between 80-90 cents for every dollar male Reform rabbis earn. And there is still their ongoing issue of “appropriate family and maternity leave.”
קישורים:
Why a small word change is a big deal for Reform women rabbis
The Reform movement has always honored their rabbis with the term “morenu harav.” And the women's ordination certificates bore the title “rav u’morah.”
For four decades no one seemed to notice or care. But then Rabbi Mary Zamore , executive director of the Reform Women's Rabbinic Network decided that the discrepancy in titles is discriminatory. To her being referred to as "rabbi and teacher" as opposed to being called, "our teacher the rabbi" was a symbolic reminder that even within the Reform movement there were still barriers to complete equality.
Mary took her complaint to Rabbi David Ellenson who was then president of Hebrew Union College (HUC) four years ago. It took the task force headed by Rabbi Michael Marmur three years to consult with experts and decide to change the terminology. Now female rabbis will be able to choose between the titles “rabboteinu harav” and “rabboteinu harabba”.
In an interview with JTA Rabbi Mary Zamore said, “There was a discomfort [at HUC] with giving her [Rabbi Sally Priesand, the first female rabbi ordained in America] the same title” as the men. “Our teacher the rabbi” is “auspicious and used since the first ordination at HUC, so it’s in the line of tradition. It speaks of the community. That’s the whole idea of a chain of tradition and ordaining, that the community is standing behind you saying ‘we believe in your authority.’”
In contrast, she said, “Rav u’morah is a nice statement of ordination. It’s just bland, pareve. The fact that it is different is problematic.”
Now that the issue of equality in terminology has finally been settled female rabbis can continue their struggle for equality within the Reform movement by addressing the pay gap between male and female rabbis. Female rabbis make between 80-90 cents for every dollar male Reform rabbis earn. And there is still their ongoing issue of “appropriate family and maternity leave.”
קישורים:
Why a small word change is a big deal for Reform women rabbis
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