Ono Dean Speaks About Feminist Judaism, Her Father, and Making the World of Academia Accessible to Ultra-Orthodox and Arab Students
Professor Tova Hartman, Dean of Ono Academic College’s School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, was recently interviewed by Jessica Steinberg on the Times of Israel podcast, “Times Will Tell”.
During the interview, Hartman addressed a variety of issues related to multicultural Judaisms. She recounted how she founded the Shira Hadasha congregation in Jerusalem, a first-of-its-kind religious community that combines a commitment to Jewish law with a commitment to prayer and feminism. At the time, it drew a lot of criticism from many Orthodox rabbis who opposed having women lead prayer and read from the Torah. Nevertheless, Hartman persisted and built Shira Hadasha with her fellow founders, spawning an entire movement in Judaism, of partnership minyanim, communities committed to Jewish law, as well as to feminism in prayer and action.
Prof. Hartman also speaks about the inspiration drawn from her father, Rabbi David Hartman, the American-Israeli leader and contemporary Jewish philosopher who founded the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
Hartman focuses on the efforts of Ono Academic College in making the world of academia accessible to the ultra-Orthodox and Arab students on its multicultural campuses around the country and discusses how access to higher education is helping to bring the directions and goals of those societies and the Israeli society in general, closer to each other.
The full interview can be heard here:
