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Jewish Beliefs about Rights, Equality and Social Justice » Equal Rights and Opportunities in Judaism

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

Edexcel spec: Paper 1, 4.2 (Judaism)

Why Judaism teaches that women and men have equal worth
How Orthodox, Masorti, Reform and Liberal Jews differ on the roles of women
How gender bias is being challenged in Jewish communities
Jewish teaching on disability and how synagogues include people

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Equal worth, different roles?

In Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Disability: Rights, Opportunities and Bias you met the general ideas of equal rights, equal opportunities and bias. Now we look at what Jews believe and how they put it into practice. As Judaism and Human Rights explained, Jews believe every person is made in the image of God, and that includes both men and women. Genesis 1:27 says God made humans "male and female". So Jews agree that men and women have equal worth.

The disagreement is about roles. Jewish communities have different views on whether equal worth means the same roles. Examiners expect you to show that Jewish groups differ.

Key terms:

Rabbi (recap from Euthanasia and Relieving Suffering: Jewish Views): a trained Jewish teacher and leader of a community. A person is ordained (officially recognised) as a rabbi after years of study.
Minyan: the group of ten adults needed for some prayers to be said together in public.
Mechitza: a screen or barrier that separates men and women in a synagogue.
Masorti: a movement of Judaism that keeps tradition but allows some change. It is sometimes called Conservative Judaism.

Women in different Jewish movements

🏠 Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Jews follow the traditional understanding of the Torah and the mitzvot. They teach that men and women have equal worth but different roles. In an Orthodox synagogue men and women usually sit separately, often behind a mechitza. Only men are counted in the minyan and only men lead the service. Women are not usually rabbis in the traditional sense.

🕯 The honoured home

Orthodox Jews give great honour to the role of women in the home. A woman lights the Shabbat candles that welcome the day of rest. Many families sing Eishet Chayil ("a woman of worth", from Proverbs 31) to the woman of the house on Friday night. Orthodox Jews say this role is vital because the Jewish home is where the faith is passed on.

🎓 Change within Orthodoxy

Many Orthodox women now study the Torah and the Talmud (the written record of rabbis' discussions of Jewish law) to a high level, which was rare in the past. Some women's groups hold their own prayer services. Orthodox Jews disagree about how far these changes should go, and some think roles should stay as they are.

⚖️ Progressive and Masorti

Progressive (Reform and Liberal) and Masorti communities believe equal worth should mean equal opportunities. Women and men sit together, women are counted in the minyan, women read from the Torah and lead services, and women can be rabbis. Progressive Jews often say that traditions that kept women out came from the society of the past, not from God.

Women rabbis: some dates

1935: Regina Jonas was ordained in Germany. She is usually named as the first woman to be ordained as a rabbi.
1972: Sally Priesand was ordained in the USA, the first woman rabbi trained by a rabbinical college.
1975: Jackie Tabick became the first woman rabbi in Britain, in the Reform movement.

Today women serve as rabbis in Reform, Liberal and Masorti communities. These dates show that change has been slow, and that it came first from the Progressive movements.

Gender bias and change

Jews who support change say some practices show gender bias, meaning women are treated less fairly just because of their sex. One example is the agunah, a woman whose husband will not give her a religious divorce document (a get), which leaves her unable to marry again under Jewish law. Many Jews of all movements, including Orthodox ones, now campaign to solve this problem.

Orthodox Jews who defend traditional roles reply that different roles are not unfair if each is valued. They point to the Torah itself, which includes women such as Deborah, a prophet and judge who led Israel (Judges 4). Progressive Jews answer that if women can lead in the Torah, they can lead in the synagogue today.

Disability in Jewish teaching

Jewish teaching about disability starts from the same belief: every person is made in the image of God, so every person has worth. Leviticus 19:14 says, "Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind." Jews take this to mean that people must not insult or take advantage of people with a disability, and must not put barriers in their way. A stumbling block can be a real object, but many Jews also see it as any unfair barrier.

Inclusion in the synagogue: many synagogues have step-free entrances, hearing loops, and large-print or braille prayer books. Some use sign language so deaf Jews can join in services.
Taking part: Jewish communities try to let people with a disability join in worship and festivals, and to give them roles that suit them.
Change from the past: in the past, traditional law excused some people with certain disabilities from some commandments. Some saw this as lowering their status. Many communities now stress belonging and equal opportunity.

Not every community has done enough. Old buildings can be hard to change, and money may be short. This shows the gap between a teaching and how well it is practised.

Common mistakes

Saying Orthodox Jews think women are worth less. Their teaching is equal worth, with different roles.
Saying all Jews agree. Orthodox, Masorti, Reform and Liberal communities differ on women's roles.
Giving general views on equality with no Jewish teaching, such as the image of God or Leviticus 19:14.
Forgetting that change is happening even within Orthodox communities.

Exam-style question

Paper 1, (b), 4 marks, AO1. Choose one religion. Outline two teachings about disability in this religion. [4 marks]

Paper 1, (d), 12 marks, AO1 and AO2. "Religious communities should give women exactly the same roles as men." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks]

Model answer

(b) Jews believe every person is made in the image of God (1), so people with a disability have the same worth as everyone else (1). Leviticus 19:14 says not to curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind (1), which means Jews should not insult people with a disability or put barriers in their way (1).

(d) Plan:

For: everyone is made in the image of God, so equal worth should mean equal roles. Progressive and Masorti communities count women in the minyan and have women rabbis. Deborah led Israel. Humanists and many non-religious people support equal opportunities for women.
Against: Orthodox Jews teach equal worth but different roles, based on their reading of the Torah and tradition. They honour women's role in the home and in lighting Shabbat candles. Some women choose these roles freely.
Judgement: the argument for equal roles is strongest for jobs such as teaching and leadership, but Orthodox Jews can reasonably say that different does not mean unequal.
Conclusion: the answer depends on whether "exactly the same" is needed for fairness. Equal opportunity matters most, but communities may keep some differences if they are freely chosen and valued.

Exam tip

In the 12-mark answer, use the word "exactly" from the statement. Show that Jewish groups agree on equal worth but disagree on roles, and name at least one group on each side.

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