By
– September 28, 2012
It sounds like an oxymoron, but it is true. Feminism and Orthodoxy: they can exist together. But anyone who wants to blend these seemingly divergent ideas has to work very hard to find compromises, on both sides of the equation.
In Expanding the Palace of Torah, Tamar Ross masterfully explains the need for equality in Orthodoxy, from both a legal and a philosophical standpoint, by using Jewish texts — both halachic and philosophical.
This may be one of the most important works to date in tracking the changes in Judaism over the past 2,000 years. The author feels that if Judaism is to continue to change and develop, it must also become more open to women and women’s issues as the years progress.
Micah D. Halpern is a columnist and a social and political commentator. He is the author of What You Need To Know About: Terror, and maintains The Micah Report at www.micahhalpern.com.
