Men, Women, Minyans, Councils, Mechitzas, Veils

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Ann
Posts: 2597
Joined: 09 Sep 2012, 02:17

Men, Women, Minyans, Councils, Mechitzas, Veils

Post by Ann »

Awhile ago Minyan Man posted his fantastic video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXvFHWWCT6I), and I probably played it ten times that day and shared it with my husband. I found it so touching; I see the brotherhood and joy as they come together in the prescribed way to pray, sing, and recite.

There are as many practices relating to minyans as there are branches of Judaism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minyan. Even within one denomination, the rules are a mile long and complicated.

In the video, there's a curtain in their space at the back of the hardware store ("The back of the store still remembers this song," - I love that line.) That partition is a "mechitza"(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechitza), which can be a curtain, a solid barrier, a balcony, etc. That's a complicated issue, too.

One thing that stuck out in my first reading session was a simple definition of the mechitza: The purpose of a women's section is to serve as place where women can hear and participate in the service together. So....the barrier which I find (on the whole) discriminatory and exclusionary was actually intended to include women. I know it's much more complicated than just that, but it is food for thought as I think about a woman's place in the church.

There's also a "modesty" component to the mechitza, which I think we can identify with as Mormons. On this subject my mind flashed to the temple and women's veils. Every religion grapples with the relics and vestiges of their past. If the boards were abuzz tomorrow morning with the news that there was no more veiling in the temple, what would it "mean?"

I'm thinking about this because I want to be a minyan woman. I want to count. Now that I finally believe I am equally loved by God, it's very hard to be happy in a church that doesn't treat women equally.

"Minyan Man" really resonated with my husband. I was so happy to see him identifying with the experience of these Jewish men fulfilling their obligations, following their tradition and coming together. But he didn't notice the curtain. I don't fault him for that, but I really think we need to look at our mechitzas and explore: What exactly is this? Why do we have it? What is it doing for us now, today?

I'll just add to this thread as I read more.
"Preachers err by trying to talk people into belief; better they reveal the radiance of their own discovery." - Joseph Campbell

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust

"Therefore they said unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said unto them, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes...." - John 9:10-11
amateurparent
Posts: 952
Joined: 19 Jan 2014, 20:43

Re: Men, Women, Minyans, Councils, Mechitzas, Veils

Post by amateurparent »

We have wonderful Jewish friends. They have passed the line between friends and family about 20 years ago.There is family you are born with .. And family you create. They are family that we created. The wife was raised Reformed and the husband was raised Conservative. His sisters both married into the Hasidic branch. Very different rules between different sects. Orthodox and Hasidic Jews do not consider the other sects to be Jewish.

Our friends consider LDS people to be more like the Hasidim. Lots of rules and lots of babies.

Also .. Lots of differences between Eastern Europeon groups and others .. Like the liquor cart that gets rolled down the aisle half way through services. That increases their attendance.

One of my brothers converted to Judaism .. It might have been for the cart.
I have no advance degrees in parenting. No national credentials. I am an amateur parent. I read, study, and learn all I can to be the best parent possible. Every time I think I have reached expert status with one child for one stage in their life, something changes and I am back to amateur status again. Now when I really mess up, I just apologize to my child, and explain that I am indeed an amateur .. I'm still learning how to do this right.
Minyan Man
Posts: 2222
Joined: 15 Sep 2011, 13:40

Re: Men, Women, Minyans, Councils, Mechitzas, Veils

Post by Minyan Man »

Ann, I noticed the curtain too. It reminded me of the temple.
There are many similarities between "us" & "them".
I think it would be interesting to discuss the scriptures of the OT with someone of the Jewish faith.
I think it would be interesting for the youth of our church to learn about other faiths & compare & contrast.
We want others to learn about our faith. We make little effort to encourage our membership to learn about
what the other faiths believe.

We live in a neighborhood with a high Jewish population. It is special to walk through our neighborhood & be greeted with "shalom". All 3 of my children have life long friends of the Jewish faith.

Ann said:
Every religion grapples with the relics and vestiges of their past. If the boards were abuzz tomorrow morning with the news that there was no more veiling in the temple, what would it "mean?"
There is something that can be said for having traditions of our faith too. The Jews have a lot of traditions.
amateurparent
Posts: 952
Joined: 19 Jan 2014, 20:43

Re: Men, Women, Minyans, Councils, Mechitzas, Veils

Post by amateurparent »

Sorry I am not in a serious mood tonight .. But I'm not.

But ..

My children quit complaining about the length of LDS services after attending synagogue.
I have no advance degrees in parenting. No national credentials. I am an amateur parent. I read, study, and learn all I can to be the best parent possible. Every time I think I have reached expert status with one child for one stage in their life, something changes and I am back to amateur status again. Now when I really mess up, I just apologize to my child, and explain that I am indeed an amateur .. I'm still learning how to do this right.
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