Mechitza
Encyclopedia
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
Halakha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
is a partition, particularly one that is used to separate men and women.
The rationale for a partition dividing men and women
Sex segregation
Sex segregation is the separation of people according to their sex.The term gender apartheid also has been applied to segregation of people by gender, implying that it is sexual discrimination...
is given in the Babylonian Talmud (Sukkah
Moed
Moed is the second Order of the Mishnah, the first written recording of the Oral Torah of the Jewish people . Of the six orders of the Mishna, Moed is the third shortest. The order of Moed consists of 12 tractates:# Shabbat: or Shabbath deals with the 39 prohibitions of "work" on the Shabbat...
51b, 52a). A divider in the form of a balcony was established in the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
for the occasion of the Simchat Beit Hasho'evah (Water Drawing Ceremony) on Sukkot
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
, a time of great celebration and festivity. The divider was first established to preserve modesty
Modesty
Standards of modesty are aspects of the culture of a country or people, at a given point in time, and is a measure against which an individual in society may be judged....
and attention during this time.
Orthodox Judaism is divided on whether a synagogue mechitza represents binding law or a custom. During the middle portion of the 20th Century, there were a substantial number of synagogues which considered themselves Orthodox but did not have one. However, the Orthodox Union
Orthodox Union
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
(OU), the main body of Modern Orthodox synagogues in the United States, adopted a policy of not accepting synagogues without mechitzos as new members, and strongly encouraging existing synagogues to adopt them. Men and women are generally not separated in most Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
synagogues, although it is a permissible option within Conservative Judaism and some Conservative synagogues, particularly in Canada, have one or have separate seating for men and women without a physical partition. Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
and Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as a branch of Conservative Judaism, before it splintered...
, consistent with their view that traditional religious law is not mandatory in modern times and a more liberal interpretation of gender roles, do not use mechitzos in their synagogues.
Origin
In the Talmud, the AmoraAmora
Amoraim , were renowned Jewish scholars who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral law, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. Their legal discussions and debates were eventually codified in the Gemara...
ic sage Abba Arika
Abba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...
(known as Rav
Abba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...
) explains that the divider originated with a statement of the prophet Zechariah regarding the mourning following the war between Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog are names that appear primarily in various Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures, as well as numerous subsequent references in other works. Their context can be either genealogical or eschatological and apocalyptic, as in Ezekiel and Revelation...
:
- The land will mourn each of the families by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself and their wives by themselves; and all the families who remain, each of the families by itself and their wives by themselves. ZechariahBook of ZechariahThe Book of Zechariah is the penultimate book of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew and Christian Bible, attributed to the prophet Zechariah.-Historical context:...
12:12-14. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2312.htm
The rabbis of the Talmud reasoned that if such a sad occasion necessitates a separation between men and women, then the Simchat Beit HaShoeivah
Simchat Beit HaShoeivah
Simchat Beit Hashoeivah or Simchas Beis Hashoeiva is a special celebration held by Jews during the Intermediate days of Sukkot.-Origin:...
in the Temple in Jerusalem, considered the happiest Jewish occasion, does as well.
Separate seating in synagogue
A mechitza most commonly means the physical divider placed between the men's and women's sections in OrthodoxOrthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s and at religious celebrations. The idea behind this is twofold. First, mingling of the sexes is generally frowned upon, as this leads to frivolity, which itself may lead to promiscuity. Secondly, even if the sexes are separated, they should not be able to interact to a high degree during a religious service, lest this lead to gazing and impure thoughts. Due to these restrictions, mechitzot are usually opaque (at least looking from the men's side to the women's side). Most mechitzot divide the front and back of the synagogue, with the women's section in the back, but a few Modern Orthodox synagogues have mechitzot dividing the left and right sides of the synagogue, with the women's section on one side and the men's section on the other; for example, the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale does this http://www.jofa.org/pdf/Hebrew%20Institute%20of%20Riverdale%20(HIR).pdf. This is often seen as more equal since the women are not farther away from the service than the men.
The women's section of the synagogue is called the Ezrat Nashim (women's courtyard) after a similar area in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Orthodox Judaism is divided on whether a synagogue mechitza represents binding law or a custom. During the middle portion of the 20th Century, there were a substantial number of synagogues which considered themselves Orthodox but did not have one. The influential Haredi
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
Posek
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
(decisor) Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar and posek , who was world-renowned for his expertise in Halakha and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme halakhic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America during his lifetime...
held that a mechitza is required as a matter of Biblical law, holding that the statement in Zechariah 12:12-14 represents not a prophecy about future circumstances but binding Sinai
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
tic law, Halacha LeMoshe MiSinai, regarding present circumstances. He declared that Orthodox Jews are prohibited from praying in a synagogue without one. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik
Joseph Soloveitchik
Joseph Ber Soloveitchik was an American Orthodox rabbi, Talmudist and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a descendant of the Lithuanian Jewish Soloveitchik rabbinic dynasty....
held that a separation of men and women is Biblically required, while the physical mechitza was required by Rabbinic decree. These views have gained adherence over the later portion of the 20th century.
The Orthodox Union
Orthodox Union
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
(OU), the main body of Modern Orthodox synagogues in the United States, adopted a policy of not accepting synagogues without mechitzot as new members, and strongly encouraging existing synagogues to adopt them. In 2002, Rabbi Avi Weiss
Avi Weiss
Avraham Weiss is an American Modern Orthodox rabbi who heads the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in The Bronx, New York. He is an author, teacher, lecturer, and activist...
of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah
Yeshivat Chovevei Torah
Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School is a "Modern Open Orthodox" yeshiva founded in 1999 by Rabbi Avi Weiss.Currently located in Riverdale, New York, it seeks to "recruit, professionally train, and place rabbis" who will promote its founder's philosophy...
, stated that "As an Orthodox institution, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah requires its students to daven in synagogues with mechitzot." The Jewish Ledger
Jewish Ledger
The Jewish Ledger is Connecticut's only weekly Jewish newspaper.It was founded in April 1929 by Samuel Neusner and Rabbi Abraham Feldman. Berthold Gaster, whose father had survived the Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps, became the newspaper's managing editor in 1958...
reported that as of 2005, "Beth Midrash Hagadol-Beth Joseph
Beth Midrash Hagadol-Beth Joseph
Beth HaMedrosh Hagodol-Beth Joseph, known locally as BMH-BJ or simply BMH, is a Modern Orthodox, Zionist synagogue in Denver, Colorado....
remains the only synagogue in the country
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
affiliated with the Orthodox Union (OU) to have so-called 'mixed seating.'" http://www.jewishledger.com/articles/2005/04/06/news/news05.txt Oheb Zedek-The Taylor Road Synagogue, in Cleveland Heights is an OU-affiliated synagogue in Cleveland Heights, Ohio that has separate seating but no actual mechitzah in its sanctuary. However, the sanctuary is rarely used. Mixed-seating Orthodox synagogues, which were a prevalent minority as late as a generation ago, have now all but disappeared. See Conservadox Judaism
Conservadox Judaism
Conservadox is the term sometimes used to describe Jews whose beliefs and practices place them on the religious continuum somewhere between Conservative Judaism and Modern Orthodox Judaism...
.
The Union for Traditional Judaism
Union for Traditional Judaism
The Union for Traditional Judaism is an ostensibly non-denominational Jewish educational, outreach and communal service organization. The UTJ, as it is known, sees itself as trans-denominational, and works to encourage traditional observance among all Jews. The UTJ maintains various educational...
recently published a viewpoint arguing that a mechitza is not required to have a particular height by either Biblical law or rabbinic decree.
Men and women are generally not separated in most Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
synagogues, although it is a permissible option within Conservative Judaism and some Conservative synagogues, particularly in Canada, have one or have separate seating for men and women without a physical partition. Conservative Judaism takes the position that the Mechitza referred to in Talmud Tractate Sukkah applied only to the festival of Sukkah in the Temple and that its use to separate men and women for synagogue worship and other occasions represents a custom
Minhag
Minhag is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, Nusach , refers to the traditional order and form of the prayers...
rather than a requirement of core Jewish law, and is subject to contemporary Rabbinic re-examination. Some Masorti
Masorti
The Masorti Movement is the name given to Conservative Judaism in Israel and other countries outside Canada and U.S. Masorti means "traditional" in Hebrew...
synagogues (e.g. in Europe and Israel) also have a meḥitza or separate seating sections for men and women without a physical partition. At one point the synagogue in the Jewish Theological Seminary
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
did so.
Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
and Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as a branch of Conservative Judaism, before it splintered...
, consistent with their view that traditional religious law is not mandatory in modern times and a more liberal interpretation of gender roles, do not use mechitzot in their synagogues. This development is historically connected with the United States; the original German Reform retained the women's balcony, although the "curtain or lattice-work" was removed. (Even in Orthodoxy there is a dispute as to whether a balcony requires a curtain.)
It has been argued that abolition of the mechitza became a symbol of Reform Judaism and that, correspondingly, opposition to its abolition became a symbol of Orthodoxy.
Eruvin
In halakhic discourse, "mechitza" can also refer to the boundary walls of an eruv for carryingEruv
An Eruv is a ritual enclosure around most Orthodox Jewish and Conservative Jewish homes or communities. In such communities, an Eruv is seen to enable the carrying of objects out of doors on the Jewish Sabbath that would otherwise be forbidden by Torah law...
(to carry within a given area on the sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
the area must be entirely enclosed). There are many specific rules for what constitutes a valid mechitza, although the meḥitza does not have to be solid. (For example, there are many instances where part of an eruv may be a string run across several poles, and this could constitute a valid mechitza).
Sukkah
The walls of a sukkah are also be referred to as a "mechitza" in the Talmud (Tractate Sukkah. Talmud Tractate Sukkah states that the mechitza of a Sukkah must be at least ten tefachim (approximately 30") high to be valid walls under Jewish law.Proper height of synagogue mechitza
There are different views on the proper height of a mechitzah separating men and women in a synagogue. Differences about minimum mechitza height represent a source of disagreement between more liberal or Modern and more Ḥaredi Orthodox Jews. According to the Shulchan Aruch HaRavShulchan Aruch HaRav
The Shulchan Aruch HaRav is a codification of halakha by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, known during his lifetime as HaRav...
, used by Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
, a mechitza needs to prevent men from seeing a woman who might be immodestly dressed, and hence a mechitza needs to be as tall as a man, or 6 feet. http://www.israel613.com/books/MECHITZA-E.pdf#search='mechitza%20height' However, according to Modern Orthodox Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik, a mechitzah need only serve as a halakhic partition, and hence need only be the minimum height for such a partition. Rabbi Soloveichik holds that this height is 10 tefachim, about 30-40 inches, and a 36 inch height is acceptable. http://www.asbi.org/news/newssum99.pdf#search='mechitzah%20%20soloveichik'
These differences reflect a general philosophical difference between Haredi Judaism
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
, which emphasizes strict interpretations in order to prevent possible transgressions, and Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
, which is more likely to utilize leniencies rooted in classical rabbinic sources. The difference has tended to increase the social distance between Haredi and Modern Orthodox Jews, as Haredi Jews who follow the stricter interpretation may find themselves unable to pray in some Modern Orthodox synagogues. As a result, and consistent with the general increasing influence of Haredi interpretations, many synagogues in recent years have raised the height of their mechitzot in order to accommodate members and guests who follow stricter interpretations.
In order to accommodate stricter interpretations and provide a way for women to see, many synagogues will make an opaque wall that is 3–4 feet high and add a lattice, screen, one-way glass, or other semi-transparent material above that opaque wall. The design shown above is an example of that design: the etched glass is semi-transparent, while the opaque wall adheres to what the synagogue requires as the minimum height requirement. A similar design is in the Or Torah synagogue in Skokie, Illinois.
Designs
Mechitzas come in different styles, depending on the number of women the synagogue expects to attend their prayer services, how dedicated the congregation is to accommodating women who wish to pray with the congregation, and whether the congregation believes that the purpose of the mechitza is to provide a social separation or to prevent the men from seeing the women.Any of these options can be made so that they go across the length of the room so that men and women are side-by-side or so that they go across the width of the room so that women sit behind the men. Synagogues in which women sit next to the men are generally more concerned with women's ability to join equally in prayer with the congregation.
1. Balcony: balconies with a 3 foot wall are themselves traditionally considered fitting mechitzas. In this design, women sit in the balcony and men sit below. This design was common in the 19th and early 20th century, and is common in Europe, including the Shaarei Tikva synagogue in Lisbon (opened in 1904). Examples in the US include the Bnei Israel (Lloyd Street) Synagogue in Baltimore (opened 1845), B'nai Jacob
B'nai Jacob Synagogue (Ottumwa, Iowa)
B'Nai Jacob is a Conservative congregation in Ottumwa, Iowa. Established in 1898, it was originally Orthodox. It constructed its current synagogue building in 1915, and joined the Conservative movement in the 1950s...
in Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
(opened 1915), the Temple Beth Shalom of Cambridge (Tremont Street) synagogue in Cambridge, MA (opened 1925 as Temple Ashkenaz), and the Beth Efraim Bukharian Jewish Synagogue in Forest Hills, NY (70th Ave) - some of these American examples are modeled after specific European synagogues, others are best classified as vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
.
1b. Balconies with curtains or one-way glass: more strict congregations will add a curtain to the balcony so that men cannot see even women's faces.
2. A fixed height gate or planter running down the center of the room, so that women and men both face front side by side. Often these partitions are minimal height (3 feet). In addition to the partition, sometimes the women's section is elevated by about a foot above the men's section. Example of a lower partition with a raised floor is in Anshe Shalom Bnei Israel synagogue in Chicago and Young Israel of Ocean Parkway in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Examples of a higher partition with a raised floor is in Mount Sinai Jewish Center of Washington Heights in Manhattan.
3. The "booth": synagogues that expect very few women to attend will provide a token space for them that can accommodate about 6 women comfortably. The space is demarcated by moveable opaque partitions that are over 6 feet high. Examples are in the Yeshiva University Beit Midrash, Young Israel of Avenue J in Flatbush, Brooklyn during the shabbat afternoon service. In some synagogues, the booth is a supplement to the balcony, and is added in order to accommodate women who have difficulty walking up the stairs (She'erith Israel Congregartion, Glen Avenue, Baltimore).
4. Fixed height opaque wall, sometimes with a more transparent curtain, screen, glass, or other material above the wall. The material used above the wall can include: blinds or a curtain that can be opened during announcements or a sermon, etched glass (as in the above picture), stained glass, a one way screen with lights so that women can see across but men cannot see in (e.g., Beth Jacob Shaarei Zion in Baltimore, Suburban Orthodox in Baltimore).
The mechitza at the Bostoner Rebbe's synagogue Brookline, MA is made entire of panels from the Boston John Hancock Building (which were being removed due to safety concerns). The Bostoner Rebbe chose these panels because they are one-way glass so the women can see out, but men cannot see into the women's section. (Later, the Rebbe's wife put the curtains inside the women's section; so, now, women cannot see into the men's section either.)
5. Curtain: usually 5 feet tall or greater, made of opaque or semi-opaque material, held up by poles on stands or a clothesline. This option costs less than the above fixed options and is used frequently by synagogues that wish to use their prayer halls for mixed-sex functions in addition to separate sex prayer. College Hillel Orthodox minyans may choose this option because the rooms at Hillel are all used for multiple purposes besides prayer.
6. Separate room: the most strict separation has women in a separate room from the men, able to view through one-way glass, an open window from a balcony, or not view at all. Examples of this are the Yeshiva of Ohr Someach in the neighborhood of Maalot Dafna in Jerusalem, where the men sit in a first floor room with a two story ceiling, and the women are on the second floor with a window overlooking the men's prayer hall. A similar design (men first floor, women second floor) is in 770 Eastern Parkway, the main synagogue for the Chabad Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
External links
- practical halakha: The Mechitza in synagogues (Chabad-LubavitchChabad-LubavitchChabad-Lubavitch is a Chasidic movement in Orthodox Judaism. One of the world's larger and best-known Chasidic movements, its official headquarters is in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York...
perspective) - Hebrew Wikipedia site for Ezrat Nashim (Beit Knesset)