If Rabbis aren't Able to Counsel Women, Maybe The Time has Come for Females to get Official Roles

In response to the periodic revelations that some rabbis have abused their positions and taken sexual advantages of females coming for counseling, some rabbis are now refusing to see unaccompanied women, or even a woman with her husband.

As we know, there is a halachik problem in the one on one counseling/meeting of a man and a woman. Officially it is forbidden, but when the situation is for pikuach nefesh, saving a life, medical, certain types of counseling, it is generally permitted.

In recent years, there have been women trained in certain halachik (Jewish Law) fields pertaining to women, and they do advise women with all of the authority of a male rabbi. And there are also women trained and certified to appear as "religious lawyers" in Batei Din, Jewish Religious Courts.

Now it is no longer rare for women to be experts in Talmud, Jewish Law. There are extensive advanced programs for women, giving tests and certificates in institutes such as Matan and Nishmat, both in Jerusalem. Nishmat has a well-known and successful halachik counseling service and hotline for women. And participants in programs like Matan's Beit Medrish are on the level of many male peers from a yeshiva.



Over the years, centuries and millenium, there have been female religious leaders, such as the Biblical Miriam, Devora, Chana and more recently the Chassidic Chana Rochel also known as the Maiden of Ludmir. A number of years ago, davka on the yartzeit of an aunt whose Hebrew name was Chana Rochel, Isramom and I saw a Hebrew-language play based on her story.

I think that it is time to distinguish/separate between the rabbinic role in leading prayer from the very different role in deciding Jewish Law and other religious counseling. 

Just use the simple hebrew term "Yoetzet Hilchatit," translate as "Religious Counselor/Advisor" or something like that. Don't use any word reminiscent of "rabbi" for the position. Do you have suggestions for a suitable name for women in the field?

Why should women feel they must consult with men about personal and religious questions or problems? And why belittle the knowledge of female scholars?

"The Pot Calling the Kettle Black," Latma's Take on the Latest "Bibi Scandal"

Caroline Glick's Latma, the Tribal update:

This week on the Tribal Update we bring you the Israeli media's response to the scandals now flooding the White House. (In a word, the media here have completely ignored the story.)

We also bring you an interview with a senior executive of Channel 10 - a station that exists only by racking up massive debt to the government.  And much, much more!

 

Latma is funded by donations from private individuals who believe that the voice of Zionism must be heard, loud and clear, in Israel and throughout the world. We need your help in order to stay open and continue sounding our voices.

If you are in the United States, Latma is  funded by donations to the David Horowitz Freedom Center's Israel Security Project which I direct. If you would like to contribute to our work, which is funded entirely by viewer contributions, please go to this link.

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I also suggest that you read Glick's latest article: Obama and the "Official Truth"

It's Too Easy to Create a Lie. Will The Anti-Gidon Sa'ar Letter Writer Be Caught and Punished?

 Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/
The Jerusalem Post

Being a public figure isn't easy on one's personal life.  Israel's Minister of Education Gidon Sa'ar just got a very painful lesson in that subject.

One of his enemies decided to knock him down a few levels and/or boot him out of politics by accusing him of sexual misconduct.  It was pretty easy.  The person just wrote a letter, signing "initials" and then sent it off so the public could hear about it.

After innumerable headlines and articles and tv news time spent on the subject of the "evil Gidon Sa'ar" that the previously squeaky clean Likud politician was just like the others,  it has finally been revealed by the police that the letter is a forgery.

Now, I wonder if the police will devote the same time and energy to investigate, discover and prosecute the forger/forgers?

People should know that if they try to destroy a person and his/her career that they will be destroyed instead.

There's so much internal fighting and intrigue in high places, whether politics, academia, finance, media and more.  It's really frightening to think how easy it is for someone to just write one of these "letters" or notes which can totally destroy a person, his/her family, reputation, career and worse.

I really hope that the Israeli Police won't rest until they discover, try and convict the guilty in this real scandal.