The status of women in Jewish law

This paper views the position and status of women in Jewish law. These origins are found in the Bible, which is the primary source of all Jewish law, and its development is found in subsequent Halakha. The Jewish woman has traditionally been assigned a distinct status from that of Jewish man, the salient feature of which has been the exemption from communal obligations. In this century women began to demand full participation in Jewish life and consequently have achieved a great change in their status, mainly in the Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist movements of Judaism. This paper reviews different aspects of Jewish law and its application to women over the centuries. It argues that because the nature of Halakha has been the continuous interpretations and applications of the Torah to the needs and demands of subsequent generations, it is possible to bring further changes in women's status.