Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance

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Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance
JOFAlogo.png
AbbreviationJOFA
Founded1997; 24 years ago (1997)
52-2106560[1]
Legal status501(c)(3)[1]
PurposeTo provide education services to the Orthodox community on women's issues.[2]
Executive Director
Daphne Lazar Price[4]
President
Pam Scheininger[4]
Employees (2018)
6[3]
Volunteers (2018)
50[2]
Websitewww.jofa.org
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The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA) is an Orthodox Jewish organization providing educational services on women's issues, with the aim of expanding "the spiritual, ritual, intellectual, and political opportunities for women within the framework of Halakha."[5] It was incorporated on April 14, 1998, with Jewish-American writer Blu Greenberg as its first president.[6] It is active in North America, United Kingdom,[7] and Australia.[8]

Activities[]

JOFA has published a number Halakhic guides on topics related to women's involvement in Orthodox Jewish ritual, released an interactive app for learning the cantillations for reading Megillat Esther, and publishes the biannual JOFA Journal.[9][10][11] In November 2019, the organization announced an initiative to pay American Orthodox Jewish synagogues an annual grant of up to $10,000 to hire women as spiritual leaders.[12] Since 1997, JOFA has held international conferences to explore halakhic and social issues.[13][14]

Positions[]

JOFA advocates for increased opportunities for women as religious, spiritual and halakhic leaders, as professional and lay leaders, and as teachers of Talmud and halakha.[15]  JOFA supports Orthodox female clergy having the official title Rabbi.[16] JOFA supports womens reproductive rights including abortion in consultation with their physicians and personal halakhic advisers.[17]  In 2019 JOFA released a statement calling for a solution to the Agunah issue in Israel.[17]

Regions[]

JOFA is active in North American, United Kingdom, and Australia.

United Kingdom[]

The UK branch of JOFA was founded in 2013[18] by Rabba who first encountered JOFA activities in Israel.[19] Brawer was raised in the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community in Milan,[20] later receiving her rabbinic ordination in 2018 from Yeshivat Maharat.[21][22] The inaugural conference for JOFA UK took place in 2013.[18] The group's early efforts involved campaigning against domestic violence.[23] The group's other activities include promoting prayer services led by women,[22] as well as supporting the role of Orthodox women rabbis first through the group's founder, Rabba Dina Brawer, and later through Rabba Ramie Smith.[24]

Australia[]

The Australian branch of JOFA was formally registered in 2020,[8] and launched in 2021 and its 2020 launch was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[25][26] The inagural president of the JOFA Australia is , an Australian legal professional and one of the founding members of the Women’s Orthodox Tefillah Group in Victoria.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jewish Orthodox Feminist Aliiance Inc." Tax Exempt Organization Search. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Inc. Internal Revenue Service. December 31, 2018.
  3. ^ " Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Inc. Internal Revenue Service. December 31, 2019.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "About Us". Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 8, 2006. Retrieved March 14, 2006.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, Inc." Entity Information. New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 8, 2006. Retrieved March 14, 2006.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "JEWISH ORTHODOX FEMINIST ALLIANCE AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED". Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission. 18 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Ta Shma: The Halakhic Source Guide". website. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  10. ^ Megillat Esther App
  11. ^ "JOFA Journal". website. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  12. ^ JTA. "New program pays Orthodox synagogues to hire female spiritual leaders". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  13. ^ "Conference | JOFA | Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance". website. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  14. ^ Glaser, Chaya. "JOFA Plans 10th International Conference". jewishlink.news. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  15. ^ "Women in Leadership | Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance". website. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  16. ^ "JOFA Statement" (PDF). 2015-09-18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-09-18. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b "JOFA public statements". website. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Winograd, Zoe (13 June 2013). "Inaugural UK conference of Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance". The Jewish Chronicle.
  19. ^ Lipman, Jennifer (13 December 2012). "How to be an Orthodox Jew — and a feminist too". The Jewish Chronicle.
  20. ^ Rocker, Simon (15 Oct 2015). "Chief Rabbi's letter seen as attack on Orthodox feminist". The Jewish Chronicle.
  21. ^ "Dina Brawer". Yeshivat Maharat.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b Wolfson, Rina (30 Mar 2018). "Dina Brawer: From rebbetzin to rabbi". The Jewish Chronicle.
  23. ^ Rashty, Sandy (6 Feb 2014). "Bid to counter domestic violence in Jewish community". The Jewish Chronicle.
  24. ^ Rocker, Simon (10 Dec 2018). "Orthodox feminist organisation Jofa UK announces new additions, including American rabba". The Jewish Chronicle.
  25. ^ "Ensuring women have a seat at the communal table". Australian Jewish News.
  26. ^ "Australian Orthodox feminists stand up to be counted". plus61j.net. 29 April 2021.

External links[]

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