Conclusion

As I reach the end of my spring semester at college, I want to wrap up my blog and conclude what I have learned by exploring the meaning behind separating of men and women. Anthropologists study other cultures through participant observation and cultural relativism, which means that they make meaning from culture by looking at that culture separate from other cultures. Through these methods, anthropologists look to find meaning behind cultural practices that are unique to a particular culture. Throughout my blog, I have taken a step back and disregarded my own beliefs from Conservative Judaism to look at and to make sense of why Orthodox Jews separate the two genders during prayer.

I have realized many things about the different sects of Judaism and come to appreciate all that religion has to offer its followers, from a set of beliefs to different practices which create diversity. I came into this project thinking that men and women are separated in Orthodox synagogues to allow for greater concentration during prayer, but as I have found out, there is much more behind that separation. While the separation of men and women is not meant to make women feel inferior to men, it often does because of the women’s role in Orthodox Judaism. Similarly to our American culture, men and women have distinct roles, which are defined by culture. In both cultures, women are supposed to be housewives, that is they stay home and take care of the kids. On the other hand, men are supposed to be breadwinners, people who work hard to earn money for their families. As a result of the specific roles of men and women, Orthodox Judaism believes that men are less in touch with their inner feelings than women. This is seen when G-d commands men to pray three times a day and says that women do not have to pray at all unless they want to. Because Orthodox Judaism is more strict than the other sects of Judaism, Orthodox Jews follow what G-d says and being forbidden from doing certain activities by G-d is considered a privilege. While I do not believe that all men are less connected to their feelings, it makes sense that men are allowed to pray verbally and women are not because a man’s voice is louder than a woman’s.

By going to an Orthodox synagogue, I was able to do participant observation and learn more about what it is like for women and men to be separated during prayer. I was able to feel what is like for women to be participate in prayer services. While as a woman, I felt slightly lower than men, it makes sense for men to sit separately from women because men are not bothered by anything while women might have a few distractions from people talking around them. However, it is more important that men pray because they are required by G-d to pray three times each day.

Through learning about the separation of men and women, I realized that they are not only separated in synagogue, but that women play a lesser role in religious holidays and ceremonies. Women typically are not allowed to participate in religious holidays. As a result of not being able to fully take part in religious holidays and prayer services, women have created women’s prayer groups so that they feel that they are a part of group and are not pushed away from their spirituality.

While I am not one to judge people who choose to attend Orthodox Jewish synagogues which separate men and women, I now know that there are reasons behind why people choose to do this. The separation allows men to concentrate on prayer, but it belittles women in the process. I have recognized that whether or not people choose to attend a synagogue that separates men and women is a personal choice. This choice should be thought through thoroughly because people want to happy and comfortable when they are praying.