French Orthodox Judaism came out strongly today against the decision of American Conservative Judaism to allow women to be counted in the minyan–the quorum of ten or more adult Jews required for communal worship. Speaking for French Orthodox Jews, Paris Chief Rabbi Ernest Gugenheim said he did not know “whether to laugh or cry.” He said the decision “reflects a profound misunderstanding of the fundamentals of the Jewish religion.”
Rabbi Gugenheim, who is an authority on the halacha and professor at the Jewish Seminary of France, said woman’s role is “different and complementary” with respect to that of man’s. Women he explained, could never join men in prayer because “during that moment when men seek to come close to God, they cannot be distracted to earthly thoughts.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
