REL 2207 - Women, Judaism and Provocation

Credits: 4.0
This course focuses on the complex varieties of images and experiences of women in Judaism. Jewish tradition is rich in depictions of women from biblical times to the present. Saintly matriarchs played roles as advocates and builders of community; queens held powerful positions and used their skills at critical moments. But as a category within Judaism, women have also felt the sting of uncomfortable legal realities correlated with male-dominated assumptions about provocative sexuality. In recent times numerous Jewish women have emerged as inspired feminists who provoked reassessments and innovations within the faith. The class will examine ways in which some women have served as initiators and others as dutiful followers; how all have coped with gender roles of dependency and how they are altering conventional assumptions rooted in Judaism’s lengthy past.
McDaniel Plan: International