Mechitzah (separation between the sexes)

Judaism loves categories and celebrates them every way – night and day, milk and meat, Sabbath versus holidays and ordinary days – and gender is no exception...

The mechitzah (Hebrew for “partition”) separates men and women in synagogue and at other religious functions. This allows for concentration in prayer without distraction. This follows the practice of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, where there were separate...

The common assumption is that spirituality and sensuality are mutually exclusive. Who says? Sensuality is not something we are meant to kill. It lies at the core of human spirituality--even of...

Why do men and women sit separately at traditional Jewish services?

The synagogues and study halls in the Diaspora are considered “miniature sanctuaries.” For this reason, we find that some of the physical characteristics of the Holy Temple are to be incorporated into the building of a synagogue . . .

Question: Recently I attended a Chassidic wedding in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. My question is, why are men and women separated by a partition? Answer: It must have been quite an experience for you to attend a Chassidic wedding! The reason for the partition...

Discover how Jews pray, when Jews pray, and the meaning of Jewish prayers.

“I like to sit next to my husband during synagogue services; that’s why I don’t go to Chabad,” a nice lady told me.

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?

Alone in New York City, she had heard that on this night there would be dancing here, and she’d looked forward to it all week. She couldn’t wait to dance, and she hoped to find a community that would embrace her.