Re: KI

[Shirona <shirona...>]

  Thanks Leonard for such a thoughtful post.  You bring up an excellent point 
that has the potential for shedding light on the *truth* of the matter. Many 
women (and men) on this list are painfully aware that getting around 
"restrictive" Hallachic rulings has always been the tactic of choice - by the 
(male) rabbis who devised them.  The fact that KI is alive and well in the 21st 
Century points to the root causes of why this Hallachic ruling showed up in the 
first place! (was it in the 8th century?).  Mountains of Hallachic rulings, 
heaps of minutia, self-referential logic, excuses, rationalizations, dogma and 
best of all - *invoking G-d's name* - cannot cover the fact that all of 
humanity is just MEN AND WOMEN, and that like it or not - but things like Kol 
Isha, Burkas, Chastity belts, (shall I continue...?) are ALL things that men do 
to women. G-d, religion, and our beloved Judaism have nothing to do with these 
rules as such - only provide the "legitimization" for this form of abuse. 
Women, representing 50% of humanity had NO SAY in the CREATION of these so 
called "cultural" or "religious" customs. 

  WHY men do these things to women is another question - one that so few men 
are willing to address and tell the truth about.  I know I've written similar 
things three years ago (and got alot of people upset, I'm really sorry...) - 
but here we are again going around and around in circles talking about KI as if 
nothing was *fundamentally* wrong with it.  Oh yeah, it's just another "custom" 
we're trying to explore.  So Leonard - let's find a bunch of nice Orthodox 
rabbis - Hassidic, Misnagedim, Satmar, let's get them all -  who would be 
willing to put a virtual "Eruv" around KI, and announce once and for all that 
this rule is obsolete - in the same way that Polygamy became obsolete. Plan "B" 
would be to hang out in the desert for 40 years until our consciousness evolves 
enough to be able to handle the change without resorting to Hallachic 
gymnastics. I wouldn't hold my breath though...

  Shirona
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
  Singer, Songwriter and Teacher of Jewish Music
     www.shirona.com
     www.cdbaby.com/shirona
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Leonard Koenick 
    To: World music from a Jewish slant 
    Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 10:14 AM
    Subject: KI


    This annual thread has recently devolved into wonderful examples of our 
diversity.  It should be clear by now that the notion that there is only one 
way to view this is contrary to Jewish history and tradition.  One need only 
look to the Talmudic arguments interpreting this and that.  Or no farther than 
the Haggadah with its magical transformation of ten plagues to 50 and then to 
100.  As for the recent anecdotes of various interpretations, we have always 
been good at devising ways around harmful strictures; witness the "Shabbos Goy" 
or the Eruv that allows some to carry objects within their "home." 

     

    As for me, I remember listening to Cantor Sue Roemer years ago here in 
Washington and thinking "what a horrible waste it has been throughout countless 
generations to deprive us of the ability to hear such feeling and be moved by 
it, and for half of us to have the ability to express those feelings 
suppressed."

     

    It is probably time - if not already past time - for this thread to move to 
techniques and tactics for dealing with and overcoming the professional and 
economic harm that KI creates.

     

    Leonard Koenick