I have recently become a mother. As a first time mom, the enormity of the responsibility that I was given along with the bundle of joy that is my daughter scared me. Over the first few days and weeks the realization finally sunk in: I, along with my husband, am responsible for this tiny […]
If you are interested in making the upcoming shmita year in Israeli more meaningful – beyond “struggling” with the basic halachot of the year, be sure to check out Shmita Israelit (Hebrew) which we just uploaded to our web site. There are lots of interesting ideas and inspiring articles. Please let us know what […]
Empowering local city Rabbis to process conversions, as proposed by the “Stern Law”, is a very important step that can significantly reduce the risk of assimilation of hundreds of thousands of Israelis who are not Jewish according to Jewish law, but who are in the process of integration into Israeli society. The proposed change in […]
As we described in a previous post, The day of the Fast of Esther before Purim has been designated as “Agunah Day.” In order to affect any change, we must first be knowledgeable on the issue. To that end, here is a list of recent articles on the issue of agunot. You Might Also Like: […]
The following is an explanation of the connection between Agunah Day and Ta’anit Esther, authored by Dr. Rachel Levmore, which accompanied proposed legislation to mark “Agunah Day” in the Israeli Knesset, presented by ICAR (International Coalition for Agunah Rights). Awareness of the woman known as the agunah has existed for thousands of years. She is […]
The decision of the Tel Aviv municipality to allow opening of businesses on Shabbat is very disappointing – not only because of the value of keeping the Shabbat but also because of the status of Shabbat as a social, national, and Jewish component of Israeli society. This decision affects many families in which the provider […]
We previously reported on the Beit Hillel Conference on Meaningful Service for Women. The goal of the conference was to discuss the various options available for female Israeli high-school graduates to serve their country, either through national service or enlisting in the army. The pros, cons, and issues of each the options were also discussed […]
In recent years, the practice of Women reading Megillat Esther for women has spread throughout Israel. Many women feel that participating in such a beautiful and special reading strengthens their partnership in serving God. Last year we issued a Psak Halacha that summarizes the considerations and takes a position on this important issue. You are […]
Dozens of rabbis and rabbaniyot from Beit Hillel gathered last Thursday for a special seminar that dealt with the issue of meaningful and significant service for religious girls. The seminar, which took place at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was also attended by Brigadier General Rachel Tevet-Wiesel, the Women’s Affairs Advisor to the Chief of […]
Beit Hillel is proud to be a partner of the Global Day of Conflict for the Sake of Heaven, today the 9th of Adar. This program is the brainchild of the Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution (PCJCR) and represents a global attempt to manage conflicts in a constructive and cooperative spirit . About […]
An opinion piece in yesterday’s Jerusalem Post provided additional details about a story we reported on about two weeks ago. In the small Jewish community of Uruguay, where there are an estimated 10,000 Jews, there has been an increasing problem of agunot – “chained women” who cannot remarry under Jewish Law because their husbands refuse […]
This week, we are launching a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind survey examining the sociological and ideological composition of contemporary Religious Zionism. The survey will be administered by the Strativity Group from the U.S., whose clients include The New York Times, Mercedes, and Walmart. The survey is being conducted online, in order to allow Jews all over the […]
We are proud to announce that we have just published our third Beit Hillel English Torah Journal! The journal contains scholarly articles on halachic, hashkafic, and public policy issues, contributed by Beit Hillel members and the Bati Midrash. Included in this issue are the following articles: We are in the process of printing copies of […]
The Jerusalem Post reported on the renewed call from the Chief Rabbinate and Rabbi Eliyahu against religious women serving in Israeli army. The article also quoted one dissenting voice – that of Beit Hillel: The war being waged by rabbis against the increasing number of religious girls enlisting simply reduces their relevance to the girls. […]
Women’s Talmud study has long become a part of our lives, a “non-issue.” What began two decades ago in only small, select circles has become a widespread phenomenon in only half a generation. This development is multifaceted. There has been a boom in numbers – the quantity of women who are exposed today to basic […]
