Jewish Feminism Movement: origin, development and outcomes

Searching for liberty is something that might be found in any religious context by those who wish to keep their religious believes and tradition besides adapting it with modern ideas and life style. Judaism is a religion which has a strong binding to its written and oral law. In modern times  lots of changes took place in life and religiousity of Jews that new movements separated from traditional Judaism and made their way through modern changes. Jewsih women (other than Orthodox women) beside enjoying new freedoms felt that there is a long way to find real equality that their counterparts have always had. At the outset of Jewish Feminist Movement along with the second wave of Feminism, new academic discussins about women’s issues rose. Jewish Feminism was formed in order to announce the existence of Judaism in the Feminist Movement and also acknowledge the presence of Feminist conscious inside the Jewish American society. The prominent view in Jewish Feminists thought is the strive to find the equality of both sexes and the need for improvement in Jewish women’s situation. This dissertation is about introducing Jewish Feminism in general. For this purpose a brief history of Feminism in general is given. Then Jewish Feminist history and its trends is reviewed. Some of Jewish feminist critiques  about Jewish believes, rituals and religious icons are discussed. A short description of a religious hermeneutic critique is mentioned. In the last chapter a short review of the Jewish feminist ideas are given and the writer’s view is also offered.