Re: Kol Ishah again

[eliott kahn <elkahn...>]

Jordan:

In defense of Mr. Krakowski, I didn't see any discrediting of halakha, just 
Kol Isha.

Sometimes things might "evolve" a little quicker if we light a fire under 
the asses of those who maintain the status quo.

I, for one, find the idea that women can't sing publicly to men far less 
appalling than the fact that they can't read Torah or participate in the 
Orthodox service.

I hope the Orthodox (male) rabbinate are at this time considering 
rectifying this situation. One need only look at the "evolution" of women's 
political rights in America--eighty years to get the vote--to realize that 
this issue involves Jewish law far less than male dominance of religious 
ideas and authority, and a reluctance to forfeit that dominance.

Eliott Kahn


At 03:55 PM 3/8/00 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 3/8/00 7:26:28 AM Eastern Standard Time, media (at) 
>kamea(dot)com
>writes:
>
><< Hi Bob:
>
>  "Ironic" indeed;  and "absurd".
>
>  Interesting to note that even in Iran, a woman is
>  allowed to sing on stage (again), --after a long prohibition
>  under the ayatollahs.
>
>  It is high time the medieval injunction against =kol isha=
>  be discredited and abandoned.
>   >>
>
>It is high time that arrogant proclamations by those who have no investment
>in Halachik Judaism come to an end, and allow the Halacha process to evolve
>as best as possible. I personally follow a more lenient approach to Kol Isha,
>  as Wolf and the members of this list know, and I am sympathetic to those
>whose performance opportunities are limited by adherence to more stringent
>interpretations.
>But I have no sympathy for those who knowingly ask for this rebuff, allowing
>them to once again decry the medieval nature of Halacha, as if a social
>injustice has been commited, rather then an expression of a specific concept
>of the modesty of women, which, whether one takes a more stringent view of
>Halacha or less, is in fact a fundamental `part of Torah practice. And I
>cannot countenance a back of the hand dismissal of Halcha and Torah, as if
>the subjective views of any individual on this list should automatically be
>allowed to invalidate a tradition which has taken shape over many centuries,
>and is based on a system of Jewish Jurisprudence which according to Halachik
>Jews dates back to the Torah. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I
>find such dismissals of Halacha, even in cases where in practice I agree,
>hurtful and offensive.
>Anyone may choose not to observe Torah the way I deem appropriate. If you are
>made uncomfortable by Kol Isha, don't observe it; that is between you and
>God. But do not give yourself the right to declare it discredited for all.
>That is a power you are unqualified to wield.
>
>Jordan Hirsch
>
>

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