“One of the challenges for Modern Orthodoxy in particular is to enable halakhic conversation across the feminist/nonfeminist divide”

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One of the challenges for Modern Orthodoxy in particular is to enable halakhic conversation across the feminist/nonfeminist divide. There is no doubt that some halakhists see feminism as a pernicious ideology, while others – myself among them – find at least some of the fundamental claims of some forms of feminism to be compelling, and see the feminist lens as a valuable source of chiddushei Torah, whether their own or those of scholars they respect in all areas of Torah.

It would be simplistic to say that the common ground of conversation should be advance agreement to be bound by the outcome. There is no recognition of common authority, and the logical extremes of each side’s position is utterly unacceptable to the other. But perhaps we can agree not to make alignment or nonalignment with feminism the halakhic test, but rather be compelled to make our arguments on specific halakhic and value grounds.

Rabbi Aryeh Klapper, “Maimonides and Women’s Leadership: A Multi-part Series”, moderntorahleadership (5 April 2016) [https://moderntoraleadership.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/maimonides-and-womens-leadership-a-multi-part-series/]

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