Shira Hadasha

Shira Hadasha (Hebrew: שירה חדשה‎, lit. 'New Song') is a Jewish congregation in the German Colony neighbourhood of Jerusalem, which emphasizes a more expansive role for women in the synagogue.[1] It founded in 2002 by a group of local residents, including Tova Hartman.[2][3] Shira Hadasha's prayer service format has been adopted by a number of congregations in Israel, the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

Kehilat Shira Hadasha
קהלת שירה חדשה
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
RitePartnership minyan
StatusActive
Location
Location12 Emek Refaim
German Colony, Jerusalem
CountryIsrael
Architecture
Date established2002 (2002)
Website
shirahadasha.org

Practices

Shira Hadasha was the first Jewish congregation to implement the Halakhic opinions of Rabbis Mendel Shapiro and Daniel Sperber on the role of women in the synagogue.[4]

The congregation combines a traditional liturgy with certain prayer leadership opportunities for women, including leading Kabbalat Shabbat, reciting Pesukei DeZimra, removing and replacing the Torah in the Ark, and reading the Torah on Saturday mornings. A mechitza separating men and women runs down the middle of the room. Parts of the service requiring a minyan do not begin until both 10 men and 10 women are present.[5]

Criticism

A number of Orthodox rabbis have publicly disagreed with Shira Hadasha's mode of worship.[6] Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, chief rabbi of Ramat Gan and a prominent religious Zionist rabbi, has ruled that "people should not pray in this synagogue". Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba has stated that "anyone who is truly God-fearing will not join in such a minyan since this is how the breaking of Jewish tradition begins. Today they do this, and in the future the result will be women and men praying completely together."[7]

Rabbi Gil Student has also weighed in against the practice,[8] as have Rabbis Aryeh Frimer and Dov Frimer, who wrote that "these practices are a radical break from the ritual of millennia and have not received the approval of any major posek".[9]

See also

References
  1. "Kehillat Shira Hadasha, Jerusalem". 2004. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009.
  2. Sofer, Barbera (1 February 2007). "The Human Spirit: Who's afraid of Shira Hadasha?". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  3. Ravitz, Jessica (2009). "An Orthodox Feminist Revolutionary". Moment. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009.
  4. Rothstein, Gidon (Summer 2005). "Women's Aliyyot in Contemporary Synagogues". Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought. 39 (2).
  5. "Inclusive Halakhic Minyanim". Shira Hadasha. Archived from the original on 8 April 2009.
  6. Haber, Alan (27 February 2008). "Egalitarian minyanim? Not authentic. Not Orthodox". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  7. Sela, Neta (14 August 2006). "Battle over women's right to pray". Ynet News.
  8. Student, Gil (31 January 2013). "Conservative Orthodoxy". Torah Musings. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  9. Frimer, Aryeh A.; Frimer, Dov I. (23 May 2010). "Partnership Minyanim". Text & Texture. Retrieved 11 February 2013.

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