I'm Back
While I can't promise a "new and improved" blog, I'm back after 16 days of no email or Internet access. So look for upcoming and hopefully more regular postings. Leave a note if there is any subject you want me to talk about or drop an email if you feel the need to guest post about an Orthonomic subject and need a venue. I've got a host of subjects on my mind. So, look out.
In the meantime, (warning: rant ahead) can someone please tell me why so many of the classes marketed to women either sound like either a self-esteem building session for women or a title on a self-help book? Call me a feminist, but woman today are every much a part of the outside and professional world as men (more so in some circles) and we tend to run the household too, from the kids to the kitchen. So, why do we end up with such a heavy dose of inspiration with only a spoonful of halacha? Rant over. I'm headed to bed.
11 comments:
I also hate the typical women's type of shiurim. Fortunately we have more choices around here.
A corollary to your rant: shiurim with hashkafa based topics are only for women...do men not need to think about the deeper philosophy of Judaism? Granted, the new-agey, self-help character of most of these shiurim make them uninteresting, but it would be nice if men could get a little serious thought now and again.
Ugh, tell me about it! I get so sick of the fluffy, touchy-feely "shiurim" for women; I prefer serious halacha or Tanach topics by far.
The only other shiurim are usually about tznius.
Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about halacha, that's what women have big strong talmedi chacham husbands for.
(major sarcasm in case it wasn't clear)
Sorry for deleting the last comment - I accidently placed it after the wrong post!
The truth for me about shiurim is that I often feel more tired than not if I get around to going to one, and something overly technical and analytical starts to sound like "blah blah blah" after a couple of minutes! So as loathe as I am to admit it, I do enjoy the fluffy, hashkafic, inspirational-story type of speeches that are geared toward women. That is, if I actually make it to one!
I agree with you 100%, SL. I was so turned off once when I went to a shiur that the speaker admitted was all based on a tape. She didn't even bother to go to any sources to prepare, for it was, after all, just for women.
Hmm, what am I missing by living in a smaller community? Right now the Yeshiva Gedolah is trying to schedule a Hilchos Brochos class (for women) at the Kollel, and in the past year they've had a practical Kitchen Halacha class, also just for women. I also went to a Hilchos Pesach shiur at the Kollel (for women) that didn't even get up to practical how to clean for Pesach, but was all about what's the Torah requirement for getting rid of chametz, and what's the Rabbinic requirement, and which commentators said what on the subject... (They had a second class on practical cleaning/kashering, but I didn't make it to that one.) About 6 months ago we also had a community wide women's symposium with a whole list of classes to choose from, and Holly Pavlov came and spoke at it, and also gave one of the classes. We don't bother with wishy washy women's shiurim here... come visit!
(Providence, RI)
Miriam-Funny we were just talking about how nice a trip to RI would be. :) Maybe I could hit a shiur in solid halacha there.
Fortunately our community shul gives mixed shiurim from time to time on practical halacha. But they are far too short despite their popularity.
I also lived in a smaller community with a fantastic community kollel and there were an abundance of learning opportunities (separate and mixed) that really gave the tools for living a halachic life as well as giving a solid understanding of the basics of Torah Judaism. The "fluff," while it most certainly has a place, was definitely on the sidelines and lately I see it on display.
Are you up for some guests? :)
I live on Long Island and my Rabbi gives a number of halacha shiurim for women. It happens to be that this year's women's pesach shiur was not on halacha, but that is because for the past 3 years they have been and they are all posted online. This year he decided to give more divrei torah. In my shul most of the women are professionals and don't want fluff so we are not given fluff.
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