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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@saber.towson.edu>
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 23:20:23 -0500 (EST)
Subject: A Halachic Precedent solution for Female Invisibility

A small comment on all the postings in v31n72 on women davening with a
Tzibbur and feeling invisible.

Rebbetzin Rivkah Slonim who has written extensively on women issues from
a halachic point of view.

Rivkah has pointed out in a lecture that in the middle ages (when women
in the women's section could not hear the chazan) there were female
chazanoth who would echo what the Chazan in front were doing --this way
the women could follow.

It would follow from Rivkah's comments that it is perfectly permissable
to CONSTRUCT a shule where the women's and men's section have equal
space and where women chazanoth help lead the women's section. In such a
situation there would be no invisibility.

In other words the 'invisibility' problem is not a HALACHIC problem but
a SOCIAL problem created by those who do not seek halachic solutions to
existing needs.

Russell Hendel; phd asa rhendel@towson.edu
Moderator Rashi is Simple; http://www.shamash.org/rashi/