Life

Orthodox Marriage Prep on the Agenda at Kolech Conference

By Elana Maryles Sztokman June 30, 2011

The sexual lives of religious women will be a major topic of discussion at a panel at the upcoming conference organized by the religious women’s forum Kolech. Naomi Marmon Grumet, who has conducted research on the intimate lives of religious women, will be examining the differences between Orthodox men and Orthodox women in preparation for marriage.

This is just one of many juicy subjects that will be addressed at the upcoming Kolech gathering, scheduled for July 3–4 at the Keshet School in Jerusalem. (Kolech, which was founded in 1998 by Hana Kehat, works within a religious framework to promote gender equity in Israel.) Other conference topics include feminism in the Haredi community; Jewish and Arab women fighting for tradition; gender and Judaism on the Internet; single mothers by choice; gender segregation in public spaces, and sex-ed for religious boys.

I am very excited to be speaking about gender education for religious boys, based on the research from my forthcoming book, “The Men’s Section: Orthodox Jewish Men in an Egalitarian World” (University Press of New England). I will also be moderating what promises to be a fascinating panel discussion on mikveh, featuring a group of women who have been challenging the status quo and promoting new approaches to ritual immersion.

Hope to see you at the conference.

Dr. Elana Maryles Sztokman is an award-winning author, anthropologist, educator, and activist, and the founder of The Jewish Feminist Academy and Lioness Books. Her forthcoming book, “When Rabbis Abuse: On Power, Gender, and Status in the Dynamics of Sexual Abuse in Jewish Culture,” is due out on June 14.

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