This morning Isaac and I were surprised that we both voted for the same piece of art in a contest by The Jewish Museum in New York. The contest is to promote an exhibit called "Reinventing Ritual: Contemporary Art and Design for Jewish Life"; you can find it here.
The piece we both loved is called "Fringed Garment" by Rachel Kanter. I was drawn to it not just for the beautiful design, but for the statement it makes about women's roles in Judaism. Traditionally women are not required to wear tzitzit or to follow any positive time-bound commandments; over time this has come to be interpreted by some that women are not only not required to observe such commandments, but forbidden to do so. The apologetic argument has always been that women are more spiritual or naturally closer to God and therefore do not need to follow certain ritual mitzvot, and further, women's role in the home is just as important as the man's.
Rachel Kanter's apron with tzitzit attached challenges that notion. If those apologists really believe that women are just as important than of course it would make sense for women to have fringes on their aprons, the symbol of a housewife. I love the contrast -- elevating domestic chores to ritual status, elevating women's domestic roles to religious status.
What makes it even better is the connection to the Talmud. In the discussion about tzitzit and when they should be worn, Rabbi Judah does not consider the wearing of tzitzit to be time-bound, and attaches fringes to the aprons of the women in his house. It is within Judaism, within the Talmud, for women to participate in rituals that are considered traditionally forbidden.
Reform Judaism is not new in allowing women to wear fringes; we are continuing a 1800 year-old discussion about women and mitzvot. What do you do to reinvent tradition to keep it relevant?
