The Internal Popular Discourse of Israeli Haredi Women

Ces vingt dernières années, un discours populaire interne s’est développé chez les femmes ultra-orthodoxes israéliennes. S’adressant exclusivement à un public féminin, les orateurs et prédicateurs – hommes ou femmes – abordent des problèmes aussi bien ‘traditionnels’ que ‘controversés’. Cet article traite de trois problèmes ‘controversés’ évoqués dans leurs discours – compréhension du sexe opposé, travail de la femme à l’extérieur et lois juives relatives à la pureté familiale – dans divers contextes sociaux, historiques et méthodologiques. De plus, nous étudions certains schémas de permanence et d’évolution à l’intérieur du discours ultra-orthodoxe, en y soulignant tout particulièrement l’émergence d’idées féministes. Les sources et matériaux populaires utilisés dans cet article nous ont permis de mettre en relief des comparaisons et influences réciproques entre les ultra-orthodoxes israéliens et américains d’aujourd’hui, problématique qui n’a pas, à ce jour, fait l’objet de recherches systématiques.Over the last twenty years, a popular, internal discourse has developed among Haredi women in Israel. Both male and female speakers and preachers, addressing exclusively female audiences, discuss “traditional” as well as “controversial” issues. This article focuses on three central “controversial” issues raised in their discourse – understanding the opposite sex, women’s work outside the home, and family purity laws – within several social, historical and methodological contexts. In addition, we examine certain patterns of continuity and change within Haredi internal discourse, as well as draw particular attention to the emergence of feminist ideas within it. The popular sources and materials related to in this article enable us to highlight a number of comparisons and mutual influences between contemporary Israeli and American Haredim, an aspect yet to be researched systematically.Durante los últimos veinte años, un discurso popular e intrínseco se desarrolló entre las mujeres ultraortodoxas israelíes. Dirigiéndose exclusivamente a un público femenino, los oradores y predicadores – hombres o mujeres – abordan problemas tanto ‘tradicionales’ como ‘controvertidos’. Este artículo trata tres problemas ‘controvertidos’ evocados en sus discursos – comprensión del sexo opuesto, trabajo de la mujer en el exterior y leyes judías relativas a la pureza familiar –, en diversos contextos sociales, históricos y metodológicos. Además, estudiamos ciertos esquemas de permanencia y de evolución al interior del discurso ultraortodoxo, destacando particularmente la emergencia de ideas feministas. Las fuentes y materiales populares utilizados en este artículo nos han permitido enfatizar comparaciones e influencias recíprocas entre los ultra-ortodoxos israelíes y americanos de hoy, problemática que no ha sido, hasta hoy, objeto de investigaciones sistemáticas

There is no interest in precious stones in a vegetable market: the life and sermons of Rabbi Jacob Gordon of Toronto

A preliminary examination of Rabbi Jacob Gordon’s sermons within their biographical, communal, religious, historical, social, and cultural contexts, offers insight into the challenges Jewish immigrants faced in early twentieth century Toronto—as this Orthodox immigrant rabbi perceived them. These sermons provide details and perspectives, and they particularly illuminate doings within Toronto’s Orthodox-immigrant Jewish community. Gordon’s East-European background did not hold him back from remolding his style, as well as the content of his sermons, fully aware as he was of the need to modify his sermonic approach to respond to the novelties of Toronto’s immigrant world. Gordon’s sermons may also be compared to those of other North American contemporaries, again signaling the unique aspects of the Canadian Jewish religious experience at a critical moment