Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts
Department
Religious Studies
Advisor's Name
Oren Baruch Stier
Advisor's Title
Committee Chair
Advisor's Name
Ana Maria Bidegain
Advisor's Name
Albert Wuaku
Keywords
Feminism, Judaism, Gender, Latin America, Conservative Judaism, Woman Rabbi, Latin American Jewry, Gender and Judaism
Date of Defense
3-29-2011
Abstract
The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of gender on the work of Latin American rabinas within Conservative congregations in Latin America. The fact that women’s roles in Latin America and in Judaism have been traditionally linked to nurturing and caring serves as the point of departure for my hypothesis, which is that the role rabinas play within their congregations is also linked to those traits. In this research I utilize a social scientific approach and qualitative methodology, conducting personal interviews with the rabinas. While this work proves that Conservative congregations in Latin America are gendered, my research demonstrates that this gendered division of labor does not have a negative impact on the work of rabinas. On the contrary, by embracing attributes of womanhood and motherhood rabinas become imah (mother) on the bimah (pulpit), educating, caring, and nurturing their congregations in a special and unique way.
Recommended Citation
Schindler, Valeria N., "Imah on the Bimah: Gender and the Roles of Latin American Conservative Congregational Rabinas" (2011). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 353.
http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/353