Feminism in the Conservative Movement Today

The Conservative Movement was founded as a Jewish Movement that would value both tradition (Masoret) and Jewish Law (Halacha) while also remaining modern. Eventually, Egalitariansim, the value of men and women being equal in all ways, came to be a core value of the larger Conservative Movement.
Today, the Conservative Movement works towards a Halachic Egalitarianism where men and women are equal under Jewish law. However, there are still many challenges and decisions that must be made about how feminist ideals will translate to Jewish practice.

Women and Tefilin

דברים ו׳:ח׳

(ח) וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃

Deuteronomy 6:8

(8) And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be totafot between your eyes.

מכילתא דרבי ישמעאל בא - מסכתא דפסחא פרשה יז

"למען תהיה תורת ה' בפיך" למה נאמר? לפי שנאמר "והיה לך לאות": שומע אני אף הנשים במשמע? והדין נותן: הואיל ומזוזה מצות עשה ותפילין מצות עשה, אם למדת על מזוזה שהיא נוהגת בנשים כבאנשים, יכול אף תפילין ינהגו בנשים כבאנשים?

Mekhilta of R. Yishmael, Bo, Massekhta de-Pisha Parashah 17

“So that God’s teaching will be in your mouth.”—Why was this said? From the statement “It shall be for you a sign,” I might have thought that women are included [in the obligation to wear Tefillin]. Indeed, it would be logical: given that mezuzah and Tefillin are both positive commandments, if mezuzah is gender blind [because it applies to anyone who lives in a Jewish home], ought not Tefillin also be gender blind?

Letter from the Principal of SAR High School
Dear Parents,
The issue of women and Tefillin resurfaced this week in light of the Boiling Point article recently published at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles and circulated on Facebook. It has since become an international topic of discussion...
In my opinion, the practice of these students has support in halakha. It has basis in the Rishonim (רמב״ם, רשב״א וספר החינוך) – and R. Yosef Karo, the מחבר שולחן ערוך, seems to follow that opinion. I felt it appropriate to see this as a legitimate practice albeit different than our communal practice – but one that has halakhic justification... At its core, women donning Tefillin is a discretionary act in Jewish law. While our community has adopted as normative the view that women refrain from this act, I see the range of rishonim who allow women to don tefillin as support to give space to that practice within our community... In a world where there are so many things that distract our teens from focusing on mitzvot, we should support teenagers who seek to strengthen their connection to Hashem and to a life of mitzvot.
And here is what we do not do: we do not loosely and without basis malign other Jews, call them names, disparage their motivations and their divine service in the name of…what? It is my hope that we can champion, together, ahavat yisrael, love for each Jew; that we can come together as a community even when we disagree; that we can deeply respect each other with pride as we create space for us to work together, as a community, to strengthen ourselves in our עבודת השם.
With respect and appreciation,
Rabbi Tully Harcsztark
Principal
SAR High School

Questions (remember that all opinions are valid as long as they respect others. We can disagree and still be friends and respect eachother)

On a legal basis, we understand that it is acceptable for girls and women in Conservative communities such as Ramah Darom. Why, then, don't all women wrap tefilin at Ramah?
Should women have to wrap tefilin at Ramah Darom? Discuss using both Jewish law and reasoning.
Girls in the group-- do you think you will want to buy tefilin that you will wear after your bat mitzvah? Why or why not?