Dude(s)

I think I've mentioned it before, but I'm the only woman in my gemara class.  We're down to 9 students (a lot of people are not so interested in a Talmud class that's mostly analyzing sources and such and not so much rishonim, so are taking a lower level class so as to do less manuscript work, which I can sympathize with.  I'm just hoping to add some rishonim on my own instead, if I make the time for it, instead.), but even when we were 14 or 16 (I forget which) I was the only woman.  Admittedly, out of the JTS students in Israel this year, there are more men than women- but the ratio is not That skewed.  I remember being told in college that bible departments are always a good 10 years behind other parts of Judaic Studies departments when it comes to social progress- well, it seems like Talmud classes are too.  It isn't that I've never had a female Talmud teacher, I have.  But somehow Talmud must still be being seen as somehow masculine- too much atmosphere of the yeshiva must cling to it, I guess.  

Unrelatedly, I mis-remembered what time minyan was starting this morning again, so I was over 15 minutes early rather than 5 minutes (i.e. time to get my stuff put away, and my ritual gear on beforehand).  It's not a big deal, just sort of humorous, and a chance to work on my random-moments project of trying to actually get familiar with more of the book of Psalms.  By doing so (being early, not reading Psalms), I manage to be the only person there before the dean (it's pretty cool that the dean a. is at minyan regularly, and b. is comfortable to talk to, and c. also happens to be one of my teachers).