Jewish Scene
In their head
David Sperber
Published: 23.04.09, 00:52
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18 Talkbacks for this article
1. Culture???
Shalom   (04.23.09)
What a waste of time. Hope they are receiving govt funding for this. I wonder if the artists did any proper, talmudic, research before starting their project.
2. good news
Rabbi Cohen ,   Tel Aviv Israel   (04.23.09)
Thats how we want our women to do. Cover there heads. Women belong in the kitchen and in the beadroom.
3. If the goal of headcoverings is to ugly up religious women..
Jerry   (04.23.09)
Mission Accomplished!
4. #2
Pal Pal ,   The M E   (04.23.09)
Shalom Rabbi Cohen. Is the beadroom where you make the Arabic curtains???
5. No mention of head coverings in the Bible
Jake   (04.23.09)
Religious dogmatism only tends to increase itself. If we start with the head covering, we will end up with the burqa. It's happened before.
6. Ugly, who cares?
Meg   (04.23.09)
So what if you think headcoverings ugly up religious women? Our job isn't to look pretty for you.
7. 5 - and your point is...?
mike ,   israel (formerly usa   (04.23.09)
rabbinic judaism has little to do with the bible. don't believe me? ask the rabbis, they'll tell you it's the oral law that counts. and if you're jewish and don't accept it, you actually are no longer jewish. don't believe me? just ask the karaites. in other words, the bible is just a launchpad for whatever the rabbis can conjure up. tradition!
8. #7. It was a political decision to accept rabbinic authority
Jake   (04.24.09)
in order to preserve the unity of the Jewish people in Exile. In 70 C.E. Yochanan ben-Zakkai of the Pharisaic faction escaped from Jerusalem and negociated a deal with Vespasian to establish a center for Rabbinical Judaism in Yavneh. Some would see cynical motives in this. Yavneh had not been in rebellion against Rome. The sectarian enemies of Pharisees - the Saducees, the Zealots, the Sicarians, etc- were trapped in Jerusalem, and ended up either starving to death or being trapped in the smouldering ruin. The Pharisees were able to come out on top as the sole remaining sect to carry on the torch of Judaism. Since the Jews in diaspora and in Judaea no longer had Jerusalem and the Temple, they had to accept the primacy of Rabbinic Judaism because they had no other choice. It was a political decision, and for Jews there was no other game in town - until 1948, that is.
9. 8 - thanks for agreeing
mike ,   israel (formerly usa   (04.24.09)
since worshiping god the way he prescribed was untenable without the temple, the rabbis basically invented a new religion. just call this thing that, this prayer for that sacrifice, this mitzvah for that command and, abracadabra! you're keeping torah (well, according to the new "rules"). how convenient, how tidy and nice. except it not obedience to what god commanded. thankfully god is faithful to his promises in spite man continually messing it all up.
10. and God cares?
Lisa   (04.25.09)
you really believe God cares if women cover their heads? It is an invention by men to demand this- ask the Rabbi Cohen... he wants women in the kitchen, preferably barefoot and pregnant-. If your salvation depends on something this trivial- I feel sorry.... for women- and men....
11. CompleAside from religious aspect, it's a beautiful frame.
(04.26.09)
I think some head-coverings work like a beautiful frame to a picture; they accent and highlight.
12. "Rabbi Cohen from Tel Aviv" is obviously a fake! duh.
(04.26.09)
13. #5 Look again
Sherlock Holmes ,   London England   (04.29.09)
Try Genesis 24.65 for starters. Also far from head covering getting more extreme, with the acceptance of wigs, the custom became far more liberal. Most Orthodox women in London look more 'normal' than earlier generations that may have worn scarves or large hats. It's also hardly female oppression as Haredi men also tend to wear hats in public.
14. Reply to #3 Ugly up religious women?
Sherlock Holmes ,   London England   (04.29.09)
In the Royal Court of St James here in London, ladies of the court wear hats that cover most of their hair when attending H M TGhe Queen. This is also the required etiquette at Royal Ascot and other royal events and royal church services. Few would consider this ugly! Poskim worry that women wear glamorous sheitels that are immodest. Hardly ugly. In British synagogues women 'dress for the occasion' or Chagim by wearing graceful hats. Again, nothing ugly!
15. Reply to #2
Motic ,   London UK   (04.29.09)
Rabbi Cohen must have ordained himself. Unmarried women are NOT supposed to cover their hair.
16. Reply to #10 For G-d's sake?
Danny ,   NYC USA   (04.29.09)
Does G-d care if you wear your engagement and wedding rings? The same answer applies to hair covering. Married women do it to tell men they are not available. A few generations back a Gentile woman would have worn gloves and hat to match her outfit. Women behave modestly because it is part of refined femininity.
17. #16 no he doesn't
Lisa   (05.06.09)
I do not think God cares if women wear their wedding rings- how about in countries where men do not wear wedding rings at all? A woman has to broadcast from afar that she is married so the men don't jump on her? Does not say much about the men, does it- if they only respect women with hats? How do men show that they are married and 'off-limit' ? Of course that is not important, because they are men? A woman can be unfaithful with or without a wedding ring- or an ugly head cover. This is literally old hat- like unmarried women not allowed to cut their hair (a hundred years ago in some European countries)-. It is in your attitude- and it is a question of TRUST and FAITH in your spouse- which obviously is not present if you think only women with ugly hats are faithful and all other women are 'wanton'- Women can and should wear a head cover in a church or synagogue- they are in a holy place- but an office, a bus, at a supermarket? this is so quaint- like a living museum! And it passed as religion-
18. Head cover
J.K. ,   Brooklyn USA   (05.06.09)
When Sefaradim Ape Ashkenazim ! what would the Rambam say about it ?.
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