Agudath Israel Raps Feminist Movement

Agudath Israel of America has called on the United States government to stop financing feminist goals such as last week’s national women’s conference in Houston.

“We condemn the recent women’s conference in Houston for adopting a broad range of resolutions which are contrary to the accepted moral value of our society,” the delegates to the Orthodox group’s 55th convention said in a resolution adopted at the opening session last Thursday. Some 3000 delegates, including the foremost scholars in Judaism from around the country, are meeting here to deliberate current Jewish issues in this country and overseas.

The resolution condemning the women’s conference added: “We are further disturbed that this conference was financed with the taxpayers’ dollars of all Americans when its proceedings do not reflect grassroots America.”

However, Rabbi Simon Schwab, spiritual leader of Congregation K’hal Adath Jeshurun, New York City, and Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller, dean of the Telshe Yeshiva of Chicago, said later that the feminist movement does not threaten Orthodox Judaism. They said the education provided in yeshivot and Jewish day schools was adequate to preserve the traditional role of the woman in Jewish life.

Schwab declared that “while the dangers of a rising anti-traditional feminism is more or less met by widespread educational endeavors under Torah auspices, the pressures exerted by society’s inversion of most of our sacred values are only beginning to be realized and are not met at all as yet.” Citing an example of necessary change for the benefit of the Jewish community, he said: “The first two or three very wealthy parents who make a simple wedding for their children and divert the savings to Torah causes will be able to set a new trend.”

Keller warned that the current value system of Jews is a bad example for the young and non Jews. He said that Jews were influenced by the “disintegration of moral values” by their exposure to the mores of the general society. He added: “Jews should set examples to the world of modesty and humility, honesty and sensitivity to the needs of others, but unfortunately all too often the opposite image of the Jew is suggested.” The yeshiva dean also voiced criticism at extravagance and huge budgets for luxuries which could otherwise be diverted to financing Jewish causes.