Language is such a powerful tool to mask agenda, in fact, there is no greater tool at our disposal. Thanks Eva Bilick, for pointing out the irony in this specific instance of institutional inequality masked in egalitarian language. It's easy to frame an oppressive and freedom-inhibiting notion as forward thinking and a cause for the greater spiritual-good (just look at political frames like "the war on drugs," "right to work," and "pro-life").
Changing the name, for example, from Morah (Hebrew for female-teacher) to Rebitzin, does nothing but change the color of the paint under which the structure remains untouched. There are generations of women and men, myself included, who went through the orthodox school system and were given the same answers to the difficult questions Eva posed above. REgardless of my personal opinion on the matter, the WHY's and WHY-NOTs of gender roles in religion deserves real dialogue; it is a topic so relevant to the future of American Jewish identity and deserves the opportunity for people of all denominations to confront.
Language is such a powerful tool to mask agenda, in fact, there is no greater tool at our disposal. Thanks Eva Bilick, for pointing out the irony in this specific instance of institutional inequality masked in egalitarian language. It's easy to frame an oppressive and freedom-inhibiting notion as forward thinking and a cause for the greater spiritual-good (just look at political frames like "the war on drugs," "right to work," and "pro-life").
Changing the name, for example, from Morah (Hebrew for female-teacher) to Rebitzin, does nothing but change the color of the paint under which the structure remains untouched. There are generations of women and men, myself included, who went through the orthodox school system and were given the same answers to the difficult questions Eva posed above. REgardless of my personal opinion on the matter, the WHY's and WHY-NOTs of gender roles in religion deserves real dialogue; it is a topic so relevant to the future of American Jewish identity and deserves the opportunity for people of all denominations to confront.