ABOUT THE EVENT:
A class on the relevance of Shmita (meaning, letting go periodically of a GOOD practice) to Jewish morals (as distinguished from teshuva which is letting go of sinful practice.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Jerusalem-born rabbi Leah Shakdiel is a proud iconoclast. More than 30 years ago, the Orthodox feminist appealed, successfully, to the Supreme Court of Israel for the right to sit on the Yerucham Religious Council, where she served from 1988 to 1993. She is active in religious peace organizations, was ordained last year and now serves as the rabbi at the Center for Women’s Justice.
At 69, she is also the matriarch of a large family, which includes seven children (some from her husband’s first marriage), 27 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
