Lihi Lapid on Jewish Feminism, Biblical Women and Israel’s Special Needs Community (INTERVIEW)

[ismnotwasm]

While the wives of most of Israel’s senior ministers are hardly mainstays in the country’s public discourse, Lihi Lapid, wife of the Jewish state’s finance minister, is an exception. Perhaps surprising for someone who actively champions a particular brand of feminism, or post-feminism, that celebrates imperfection.

“My goal in life is that women would stop trying to be so perfect,” she said simply, in a recent interview with The Algemeiner.

Lapid, an accomplished author, columnist and photographer, said that her theories are inspired by Jewish tradition and biblical characters, and have been proven in practice by women in modern Israeli society and those who helped found the state of Israel.

“Women did it. The feminist revolution succeeded, we can live lives which are radically different from our mothers’ and grandmothers’ lives,” reads an introduction to her latest book, Woman of Valor.

The struggle for many women today, she said, is that they “need to be perfect at home, at work, the way they look, as mothers, as daughters and girlfriends.” On the other hand, men only “need to be perfect at work. It’s not a big thing.”

Instead of giving up on one responsibility or another, the solution, she says, is for women to embrace all of their roles but to accept “that it’s okay if I won’t be the best mother” and “It’s okay if I won’t be the best-selling author in the world.” It’s a message that many women feel relieved to hear, she said, not least in the weeks leading up to Pesach.

http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/04/08/lihi-lapid-on-jewish-feminism-biblical-women-and-israels-special-needs-community-interview/

[libodem]

1. Thank you ism

This interested me very much. I'm not fortunate enough to have Jewish people in my life for opinions and conversion so reading is my next best option. I watch PBS for documentaries. The Jewish mother has a big reputation to live up to. It must be difficult to be perfect in every way and live up to biblical figures or feel guilty for not being good enough.

[ismnotwasm]

2. The Jewish women I know say it's a real problem.

It's not the only culture/religion with it; but it's there.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. The role of women in Judaism has always been interesting and complicated.

Anyone really familiar with the creation myth know that Adam's first wife wasn't Eve, but Lilith. Of course, both women ended up with really negative reputations, but more Jewish women can relate to Lilith IMO, than they can to Eve. Judaism has morphed so much, only the ultra-orthodox and some orthodox stand in the way of women and their equality. However, Jewish women are still expected to run the home. Men may be "king of the castle," but in a Jewish home, the queen rules!

Just as in the general female population, there is much competition among Jewish women and their homes, the accomplishments of their children, and their husbands' careers. My mother was looked down upon by some of my family because her husband (my dad) was military, but was redeemed by having two doctors for sons. Of course, we don't associate with any of them anymore! LOL! My coming out rattled the entire family, despite having two gay cousins. They, unlike me, were quite "subtle" in their sexual orientations. I was speaking from the state capitol of South Carolina and being interviewed on tv. Now, things have changed and many Jewish groups and synagogues are very gay positive.

One only needs to look to Israel and see the roles of women are vast and sometimes conflicted, but generally, women are respected.

Did you see this? Golda Meir

[ismnotwasm]

4. That's awesome

I've always admired Golda Meir-- funny how you don't hear about her more. I knew the Lilith story, but I thought it was written later by a Jewish Scholar-- still it's one of my favorite stories.

Thank you for the great post!