Women in Judaism

Last week we briefly mentioned how, unlike many other cultures throughout history, Jewish girls were educated alongside boys in Beth/Bet Sefer until they were 12 or 13, meaning that girls and women were often just as educated as their male counterparts. Only some boys/men went on to study more in Beth/Bet Midrash after finishing Bet Sefer. Given that discussion, I thought you all might appreciate an article from Judaism 101 about the "Role of Women" in Judaism. Here are some interesting snippets:

The position of women is not nearly as lowly as many modern people think; in fact, the position of women in halakhah (Jewish Law) that dates back to the biblical period is in many ways better than the position of women under American civil law as recently as a century ago.

The equality of men and women begins at the highest possible level: G-d. In Judaism, unlike traditional Christianity, G-d has never been viewed as exclusively male or masculine. Judaism has always maintained that G-d has both masculine and feminine qualities.

The rights of women in traditional Judaism are much greater than they were in the rest of Western civilization until the 20th century. Women had the right to buy, sell, and own property, and make their own contracts, rights which women in Western countries (including America) did not have until about 100 years ago. In fact, Proverbs 31:10-31, which is traditionally read at Jewish weddings, speaks repeatedly of business acumen as a trait to be prized in women (v. 11, 13, 16, and 18 especially).

The following passage is perhaps the best explanation for why it was so important for girls and women to be educated in the Torah:

There is no question that in traditional Judaism, the primary role of a woman is as wife and mother, keeper of the household. However, Judaism has great respect for the importance of that role and the spiritual influence that the woman has over her family. The Talmud says that when a pious man marries a wicked woman, the man becomes wicked, but when a wicked man marries a pious woman, the man becomes pious.

The entire article can be read here: http://www.jewfaq.org/women.htm.