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What’s happening at ... Lechu Neranena
Lechu Neranena Seeks to Expand
Women’s Role in Prayer
SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER
A t Lechu Neranena partnership
minyan in Lower Merion, the
mechitza, the partition used
to divide the men and women in a
prayer space, remains a fi xture in the
Orthodox community.

However, instead of the davening
stand skewing toward the men’s side,
it sits directly in the middle of the
divider, equally visible to both sides of
the community.

Th e set-up of Lechu Neranena’s prayer
space — which has various changing
locations in minyan member’s homes
— is representative of the partnership
minyan’s “liberal Orthodox” philoso-
phy of “creating a spiritual and inclu-
sive atmosphere within the framework
of halacha,” according to the spiritual
community’s website.

Founded in May 2012, Lechu
Neranena is now home to 20-50 min-
yan members for weekly Shabbat ser-
vices and holiday gatherings, though
its email listserv has swelled to 227
interested parties.

Men and women participate in their
respective Torah services, with women
also reading from the scrolls. Women
also read the megillah over Purim
and lead Kabbalat Shabbat services on
Friday night.

“One of our values is to convey a
sense of respect and acknowledging the
importance of everyone in our com-
munity,” said Lechu Neranena board
member Noah Gradofsky, a member
of the partnership minyan for nine
years. “It is important for everyone in
the community to be able to be a part
of our religious ritual in partnership.”
Partnership is the key word,
Gradofsky said. Lechu Neranena is
part of the partnership minyan move-
ment created by the Jewish Orthodox
Feminist Alliance, a national organiza-
tion that uses halachic interpretations
to advocate for women’s rights.

“Driven by multigenerational com-
munal interest and leadership, partner-
ship minyanim create an environment
Louie Asher reads from the megillah on Purim in March.

that is not just about giving women the
opportunity to lead, but a space where
men and women can lead together,”
said JOFA Executive Director Daphne
Lazar Price.

The concept was first devel-
oped in 2001 by Modern Orthodox
Rabbi Mendel Shapiro and Bar-Ilan
University Talmud Professor Rabbi
Daniel Sperber, who argued that Jewish
law permitted women to read from the
Torah and participate in prayer rituals,
under certain parameters.

In some other Jewish communities,
women are not permitted to pray in
front of men because it violates kol
isha, the idea that men should not hear
women’s singing voices, Lazar Price
said. Others argue that the participa-
tion of women in the Torah services is
against kavod hatzibur, the dignity of a
congregation. According to Lazar Price, Shapiro
and Sperber posited that the principle of
kavod habriyot, human dignity, super-
seded these other Jewish principles.

Partnership minyanim, including
Lechu Neranena, still set some bound-
aries on participation. In addition to
the mechitza, women do not usually
lead the Saturday morning Shabbat
service or maariv, evening services.

Women are not permitted to lead the
amidah, kaddish or kedushah.

Th ere is some wiggle room, however.

With more than 40 partnership minya-
nim across the world, there’s bound to
be some diff erences in how services are
led, Lazar Price said.

“Some minyanim may have a spir-
itual leader who advises them, and
who guides or leads their partnership
minyan on a regular basis. Others may
follow the generally accepted practices
... and consult a halakhic authority as
needed for particular cases,” she said.

Lechu Neranena works with halachic
adviser Rabbi Martin Lockshin, who
off ers his services remotely. Otherwise,
the community is lay-led, though some
members, such as Gradofsky, are rabbis.

Th e members of the minyanim come
from a variety of backgrounds, but share
the desire for women to participate more
fully in the spiritual community.

“I have a background of strong involve-
ment with Jewish rituals and prayer
groups,” said member Louie Asher,
who’s been involved at Lechu Neranena
since shortly aft er its founding. “I’ve been
part of many diff erent types, includ-
ing Conservative synagogues, Orthodox
synagogues, chavurot, summer camps;
and I grew up in a congregation where
the rabbi was a great advocate for girls
and boys learning how to lead services
and do various rituals.”
The Orthodox population in
Philadelphia and beyond is diverse,
Asher said. She maintains the impor-
tance of mutual respect: Just as she
hopes other Orthodox communities
respect Lechu Neranena’s decision to
include women in Torah readings and
services, she, too, understands why
some Orthodox communities keep
other rituals.

“I know that some people feel like,
‘We want to do it this way. We want our
way to prevail. We want our way to be
accepted here and there,’” she said. “I
just accept that some people do it one
way, some people do it another way;
some people accept it, some people
won’t accept it. I just understand that’s
the way Jews are.” JE
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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