A choice for Practicality

[debka_notion]

Am skipping the Orthodox minyan's dawn minyan tomorrow (well, Tuesday morning) because it's too much bother to daven, then come back and repeat shema with tallit and tfillin. If I could find an isolated spot, I'd be tempted to just go with egal ritualgear and all, but that would Not be nice. And I need the sleep. But I did go to mincha-maariv today: and was not the only woman who stayed for maariv- there was one other. But I couldn't hear any of the other women respond to anything. ANyone know if there's a reason why they don't respond audibly to say, kaddish? Or Amen to anything? As it is, it feels like this weird cultural silencing, and it weirds me out.

Comments

[tovah623.livejournal.com]

[nuqotw.livejournal.com]

On those rare days when I get organized enough to make it to minyan (the Penn Hillel Orthodox one) I put on tallit and t'fillin there. It has not been a problem. It's as much my minyan as it is anyone else's. And I respond as I would at any other minyan, which is to say audibly.

There are unfortunately times when I cannot respond because the shatz on the other side wasn't loud enough for me to hear.

[doodah.livejournal.com]

When I go, which is rare during the week, I definitely respond audibly. There are others...but they might only come on Shabbos.

BOO needs a little shaking up...I'd say bring on at least the tallis...

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

There's no halakhic reason why they shouldn't respond audibly, and several why they should. My guess would be either "cultural silencing" or just quiet people.

As for the tallit/tefillin discussion . . . I would advise against. Shaking things up only makes sense if the shaken subsequently re-think the matter. Unless BOO has changed a lot since I was last there, this is unlikely to happen. You'd probably be taken as an angry feminist trying to offend people.

Incidentally, reciting sh'ma while wearing tallit and tefillin is highly preferable, but not required. Tallit, tefillin and sh'ma are three related but separate mitzvot. If one were to say sh'ma at shacharit, put on tefillin after lunch and wear a tallit at minchah, one would be yotze for everything.

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

I remember noticing a similar silence three or four years ago...I was inclined to assume it was a cultural thing, and mentioned it to a panminyanic egal/BOO-goer (now at JTS cantorial) who responded that good heavens there's no taboo on women being audible, or she would never attend BOO! Which doesn't change the oddness of the atmosphere in that regard -- but it was reassuring to know it wasn't any sort of policy.