Judaism & Gender Prejudice & Discrimination (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B) : Revision Note

Jewish teachings about gender prejudice & discrimination

• The idea of equality is key to Jewish teachings on gender prejudice and discrimination

• The creation story in Genesis explains that God created male and female at the same time and that both were created in the image of God (b’tselem Elohim)

• Therefore, Jews would say that:

  • everyone is created in the image of God, and therefore all life has equal value in the eyes of God

  • men and women have equal status in God’s eyes

• Since all humans are equal – and have the same value in God’s eyes, they should all be entitled to equal human rights

• All people should be treated with justice

• Strangers should be treated with compassion

• The Torah teaches:

Jewish opposition to gender prejudice & discrimination

• Genesis 3:16 states of women that 'Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you' 

• This is interpreted by some Jews as evidence that men and women have different roles

  • However, different roles need not mean inequality

  • The role of women according to Orthodox Judaism is a highly important one, primarily as a wife and mother with the responsibility of passing on the Jewish faith to future generations

• Everyone, whether male or female, has a fundamental equality and worth

• Jewish law or Halakhah covers all aspects of daily life, ensuring everyone is treated fairly in all aspects of life, from eating and prayer to business dealings

• God is a God of justice and demands that everyone should be treated fairly

• The Torah commands people to ‘love their neighbours’ as themselves (Leviticus 19:18)

• Israel's Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty (1992) was approved by the Knesset on 17 March 1992

  • It is a law that protects human rights and establishes the values of a Jewish and democratic state in Israel 

  • It was written

    • To protect the dignity and liberty of all people

    • To establish the values of Israel as a democratic and Jewish state 

  • It protects the rights of both men and women in six key areas:

    • Life: the right to life

    • Body: the right to body integrity

    • Freedom: the right to freedom

    • Property: the right to property

    • Privacy: the right to privacy and intimacy

    • Entry and exit from Israel: the right to enter and exit Israel

Gender equality in action in modern Judaism

Gender equality in society

• Property rights: women have full property rights before and after marriage, and can keep their maiden names

• Financial support: women are ensured financial support

• Bar and Bat Mitzvah: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies ensure that the transition into adulthood is celebrated for both boys and girls 

Gender equality in worship

• Different branches of Judaism interpret and enact equality in distinct ways

• In Reform and Liberal Judaism, the idea that both men and women are equal extends to religious leadership

  • Women can become rabbis

  • Women can participate in religious practices that were traditionally male-only

  • Men and women can sit together in the synagogue 

• In Orthodox Judaism, there are clearer gender roles

  • Worship is led by men

  • Women will sit in a different part of the synagogue than men to avoid distraction, and to help them concentrate on the service

• Debate is underway in Orthodox Judaism about modernising these practices to reflect changes in Reform Judaism and wider society