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Overview
Early
Influences
Establishing
a Reputation
"The
Maiden in the Temple"
Breaking
Down Barriers
Career
of a Lady Preacher
The
First Woman Rabbi?
Jewish
Women's Congress
Paradoxical
Positions
Marriage
and New Directions
Later
Years
Legacy
Timeline
Bibliography
Artifacts
Alphabetically
Artifacts
Sorted by Source
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Breaking Down
Barriers
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Soon, the American Jewish world was abuzz with
the news that a woman—a "latter-day Deborah" -
had transcended the traditional boundaries of the
female sphere and stepped up to the pulpit.
Traditional Judaism had allocated few public
religious roles to women, who did not count towards
the minyan (quorum) of ten required for
public worship, could not read from the Torah, and,
if they attended synagogue, were seated separately
from men. Religious leadership lay strictly in the
hands of men, whose voices dominated the
synagogue.
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By the 1890s, American Jews had begun
to make some changes to this traditional order. The
widespread introduction of family pews in
acculturated congregations had redefined women's
presence in the synagogue, mixed-sex choirs had
brought women's voices in to the service, and a new
confirmation service for girls as well as boys had
acknowledged the importance of female religiosity.
Moreover, as Jewish men became increasingly
absorbed in the bustle of everyday life, women
began to outnumber men at many congregation's
services. But despite these advances, Frank still
defied longstanding norms when she assumed the
right to speak and teach within the synagogue
context. "I know that it is unusual, and that in
the history of our people no woman except Deborah
spoke in the synagogue, yet the experience did not
seem strange," she commented.
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The newness of the Jewish communities in the
West likely contributed significantly to Frank's
ability to do what she did. Had more established
Jewish institutions and a well-entrenched Jewish
leadership existed on the West Coast, Frank might
never have been given the opportunity to preach. By
occupying the pulpit temporarily, Frank opened the
door, however slightly, for Jewish women's long
journey towards public religious leadership.
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How to Cite This Page
For a bibliography:
Jewish Women's Archive. "JWA - Ray Frank - Breaking Down Barriers." <http://jwa.org/exhibits/wov/frank/break.html>.
For a footnote:
Jewish Women's Archive, "JWA - Ray Frank - Breaking Down Barriers," <http://jwa.org/exhibits/wov/frank/break.html>.
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