Thank G-d for Making Me a Woman

In this first class in a series on women’s roles in Judaism, we analyze the blessing that men recite daily thanking G‑d “for not making me a woman.” How are we to understand the seemingly derogatory implications of this blessing?

Lighting candles to honor the Sabbath is a duty incumbent upon both men and women. How and why, then, did this ritual become “a woman’s mitzvah”? What is the special connection between women and Shabbat candles?

The mitzvah of separating the consecrated “challah” portion from dough is a symbol for a woman’s influence on the kashrut of the Jewish home.

The mitzvah of immersing in the ritual pool known as a mikvah is the cornerstone of Jewish married life. With this mitzvah, women bring tranquility and harmony to their families.

Why are men and women separated by a mechitzah in the synagogue? Why aren’t women counted for a minyan? Do women wear tallis and tefillin?