The Life-Cycle

Dedicated by Lynn Sykes in Loving Memory of Gene Sykes, devoted husband, father, and uncle

Head-Covering

What is the halachic basis for married women’s head-covering? Halachic Basis

What explanations for the mitzva of head-covering emerge from the sources? What other meanings might a woman find in the mitzva? Rationale and Meaning

Who is obligated to cover her head? Head-Covering III: Who

How much of her head or hair does a woman need to cover? Where do the variations in custom come from? Head-Covering IV: How

In what settings does the obligation of head-covering apply? Head-Covering V: Where

Read on to see what we’re planning for this section of the site–and let us know if you have a topic to suggest.

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Girlhood

From birth to bat mitzva, how does Halacha shape girls’ lives?

Womanhood

While rabbinic literature envisions women transitioning smoothly from girlhood to marriage, modern women’s lives often take different trajectories. From leaving the nest to dating to establishing a room of her own, what halachot are particularly relevant to a single woman?

Jewish Communal Roles

Rabbanit or rebbetzin? Rabbinical court advocate? Teacher? Yoetzet Halacha? Kashrut supervisor? What are the halachic implications and standing of different communal roles for women?

Marriage

What does Halacha have to say about the dynamics of the marriage relationship? How do the laws of head-covering, marital intimacy, and even divorce affect a halachically observant couple’s relationship?

Motherhood

In which cases does Halacha promote conception, and when does it allow for contraception? What about women who struggle to conceive? From childbirth to nursing, from educating to letting go, what frame of reference does Halacha provide for the Jewish mother?

The Final Passage

Death is a part of life. How does Halacha relate to women in mourning and bereavement, and preparing for the end of life?