Spring Break
Hillel upholds inequality
by Hillel Buechler
Op-Ed | 11/18/08
Posted online at 2:34 AM EST on 11/18/08
President of Brandeis Hillel executive board Bryan Wexler '09 passed up the chance to correct a longstanding wrong. In an ongoing struggle, equalization has once again trumped the principle of a pluralistic environment.
At the Hillel e-board meeting Thursday, Wexler announced that Brandeis Hillel would keep its policy forbidding women from leading the entire community in birkat hamazon, the blessing recited after meals, at Hillel events. Leading this blessing is one of the few ritual honors that Hillel dispenses to students.
In past years, some involved with Hillel expressed the desire to change the policy and allow women to lead. Last semester, the e-board discussed the issue in depth and even created a focus group for it but ended up tabling the issue until this semester.
This year, the issue publicly resurfaced after concerned students brought it up at the first Hillel general council meeting of the semester. The following week, Wexler, alone, decided to maintain the status quo. Wexler explained to the Justice that he consulted students and Hillel staff, as well as the minutes from relevant meetings, but in the end the decision was his.
Here's why there's even a problem: One interpretation of Jewish law dictates that only men can lead the blessing, while a different interpretation permits both men and women to do so.
Therefore, if only men lead the blessing, the group that believes women are entitled to lead is disenfranchised. But if women were to ever lead, the even larger group that firmly believes women cannot assume that religious role would be unhappy. The conflict is clear. Any policy concerning who can and cannot lead inevitably irritates one of the two camps.
At this point I should be able to point out that, luckily, Brandeis Hillel won't meddle in Jewish law. I should be able to confirm that Brandeis Hillel is in sync with the mission statement of its parent organization, Hillel International, which is "dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming and inclusive environment."
At the Hillel e-board meeting Thursday, Wexler announced that Brandeis Hillel would keep its policy forbidding women from leading the entire community in birkat hamazon, the blessing recited after meals, at Hillel events. Leading this blessing is one of the few ritual honors that Hillel dispenses to students.
In past years, some involved with Hillel expressed the desire to change the policy and allow women to lead. Last semester, the e-board discussed the issue in depth and even created a focus group for it but ended up tabling the issue until this semester.
This year, the issue publicly resurfaced after concerned students brought it up at the first Hillel general council meeting of the semester. The following week, Wexler, alone, decided to maintain the status quo. Wexler explained to the Justice that he consulted students and Hillel staff, as well as the minutes from relevant meetings, but in the end the decision was his.
Here's why there's even a problem: One interpretation of Jewish law dictates that only men can lead the blessing, while a different interpretation permits both men and women to do so.
Therefore, if only men lead the blessing, the group that believes women are entitled to lead is disenfranchised. But if women were to ever lead, the even larger group that firmly believes women cannot assume that religious role would be unhappy. The conflict is clear. Any policy concerning who can and cannot lead inevitably irritates one of the two camps.
At this point I should be able to point out that, luckily, Brandeis Hillel won't meddle in Jewish law. I should be able to confirm that Brandeis Hillel is in sync with the mission statement of its parent organization, Hillel International, which is "dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming and inclusive environment."
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