With the publication of my book, I began to experience an emotional change as a feminist: my rage turned to laughter at the absurdity of sexism and its defenders, and I felt energized by the constructive efforts of those working for change. The extraordinary possibilities that were created for Jewish women – though hardly sufficient – meant that some of the horrors I had experienced would never confront future generations: there will never again be a time when a Jewish woman will be unable to find a minyan (prayer quorum) that will welcome her to say kaddish (mourner’s prayer). Still, I am not entirely comfortable: I am not reassured that a male will not be invited as the keynote speaker at a conference debating women’s rights. Women are still marginalized, men remain patronizing, and commitments to feminism seem to be receding under the Bush regime even as feminism itself is “domesticated.”
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Heschel writes that, "my rage turned to laughter at the absurdity of sexism and its defenders." What is your understanding of this transformation? Can you relate to this emotion through your own struggles for social justice?
2. Does the statement ring true to you that "some of the horrors I had experienced would never confront future generations?"
3. What does this text imply about one of the many struggles for equality and civil rights?
Time Period: Contemporary (The Yom Kippur War until the present-day)