Feminism challenges Judaism on many levels, including its approach to Bible, Jewish Law (halacha) and the role of women in general. On the other hand, Judaism challenges feminism regarding the sanctity of familial roles, nature vs. nurture and the place of discipline. This talk will attempt to explore how the two reconcile and even strengthen each other.
Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
Originally from New York, Rabbi Goldstein served as assistant rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto from 1983 to 1986. She is a graduate of Brandeis University in Massachusetts with a Bachelor’s Degree in Judaic Studies and Sociology. In October, 1981 she received her Masters Degree in Hebrew Literature from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and was ordained from that seminary in May of 1983. Before coming to Canada, Rabbi Goldstein served at Temple Beth Or of the Deaf in New York, where she became proficient in sign language and specialized in serving the Jewish disabled, an area in which she remains deeply committed. Active in women’s issues, she served on the Task Force on Women in the Rabbinate of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and with the Toronto Women of Faith, an inter-faith women’s clergy network. In June 1985 she taught in the Institute for Studies in Theological Renewal course on Women and the Church. She currently serves as rabbi of Temple Beth David in Canton, Massachusetts.