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would you personally feel comfortable praying in a space that used a "trichitza"? where there are two dividers and three separate sections: one for women, one for men, one for those who wish to abstain from a gendered space for whatever reason. I'd love to hear from multiple FORs and get a sense for what kinds of objections, if any, might come from different movements or perspectives.
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Hi! Hope you had a good Shabbos. I had the opportunity to go to the local Chabad house Saturday morning. I've been in the conversion process through Reform for a year, but pretty observant for the last 6-7 months. Going to an Orthodox shul for the first time, I thought I knew what to expect. (So much Hebrew, not my point.) I knew there would be a mechitza. I knew I would be behind it. But it still bugged me. Did it bug you when you first became frum & how did you get used to it? (1/2)
(2/2) I don’t want my uncomfortableness with the mechitza to stop me in Orthodox Judaism. I love Torah observance. I feel great dressing tznius and being shomer negiah. Shabbos is amazing and kosher is a gift from Hashem! What do you suggest? Also how do I express my interest in Orthodoxy to my gentile family who though support of my conversion is still quietly critical of Reform Judaism, not to mention Orthodoxy?
I’m sorry that this probably won’t be the most helpful answer for you, but no, the mechitza never bothered me. Quite the opposite, in fact. Growing up, I went to shul regularly on Friday nights. And I remember every single time there was a boy there my age, I was so distracted the whole time. I welcomed the opportunity to daven in a women-only space free from that type of distraction - both the watching and the feeling of being watched. My only issue is when men DON’T respect the mechitza and feel entitled to walk through the women’s section during davening (in which case it’s not a women’s space and a men’s space, but a men’s space and the place women are allowed to be). But when it’s truly a women’s space, as is the intention of the mechitza, I greatly appreciate it and find it enhances my davening (even more so when I was single, but still now as well).
It sounds like if this is the path you want to pursue, you’ll need to start looking at it from a different angle. As a woman, you aren’t any more “behind” the mechitza than the men are (unless you’re talking about the layout of a particular shul whose women’s section is behind the men’s section). Men and women are on different sides of the mechitza. The men are behind the mechitza from your perspective and the women are behind the mechitza from their perspective. It’s not a negative thing.
As for family, I’d recommend speaking to another convert for advice, since while I do have non-Jewish relatives, I don’t have experience dealing with family critical of Judaism.
Good luck!
i have a poll question:
In your ideal shul, would there be a mechitza? (If you're gay or trans, assume this shul is 100% LGBT friendly. If you're non-binary, assume there's an extra seating section for your gender.)
Yes - cishet man
Yes - cishet woman
Yes - queer and/or trans man
Yes - queer and/or trans woman
Yes - non-binary
No - cishet man
No - cishet woman
No - queer and/or trans man
No - queer and/or trans woman
No - non-binary
I don't know what a mechitza is
Other/nuance
in your ideal shul, would there be a mechitza?
Yes - cishet man
Yes - cishet woman
Yes - queer and/or trans man
Yes - queer and/or trans woman
Yes - non-binary
No - cishet man
No - cishet woman
No - queer and/or trans man
No - queer and/or trans woman
No - non-binary
I don't know what a mechitza is
Other/nuance
#mechitza #מחיצה #detjødiskesamfund #atværejøde #krystalgade #kopenhagen #yomhaatzmaut #yomhaatzmaut2022 #יוםהעצמאות #יוםהעצמאות2022 #justjewishthings (hier: Great Synagogue (Copenhagen)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdJi31Pt1W7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
My boyfriend and I looking at one another over the mechitza today:
We love the shul we grew up attending but it’s time. We need a less orthodox shul.
#detjødiskesamfund #mechitza #יוםהעצמאות #מחיצה #yomhaatzmaut #happybirthdayisrael (hier: Det Jødiske Samfund)
Another one for the books. Come and join the next big thing in Middlesex County New Jersey. We are all over. #Mechitza#otg360#onthegocourier#onthego#Tristate#courier#messenger##newjersey#jerseystrong#newyorkcity#les#lowereastside#business#warehouse#courierservicesmadeeasy#eastvillagenyc#Greenwichvillage#southjersey#northjersey#electrical#insulation#reliable#gofundmecampaign#gofundme#les#lowereastside#nyc#barmitsva#partyplanner#weddings#birthday#sabbath (at Midwood, Brooklyn)
Chairwoman of Knesset's Committee on the Status of Women MK Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid) has presented a bill promoting equally dividing the Western Wall plaza between men and women in terms of physical space. The bill states that currently, the men's section is three times bigger than the women's section, forcing women who pray at the holy site to crowd together, while more often than not, the men's section remains half empty. This situation, Lavie states in the bill, 'must change.'
New bill promote equal division of Western Wall plaza between men, women - by Gideon Allon for Israel Hayom
