Wo-Menstruation: Feminist Visions on and Orthodox Jewish Practices of Leviticus Purity Rules

Emmens, Amélie (2022) Wo-Menstruation: Feminist Visions on and Orthodox Jewish Practices of Leviticus Purity Rules. Bachelor thesis, Bachelor Religiewetenschappen.

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Abstract

This bachelor’s thesis looks specifically at Leviticus chapter 15 and analyses the purity laws that are written in that chapter concerning menstruation and menstrual separation. The thesis tries to capture the views of two feminist writers about these purity laws. Kathleen O’Grady states that ritual segregation, the separation between the unclean menstruant and the clean world, is meant as a code of conduct to ensure cleanliness, rather than a sort of punishment for sinful behaviour. Anne-Marie Korte explains that feminists are trying to reshape and reclaim rituals from their religious traditions. She makes a separation between Jewish and Christian feminists and spiritual feminists and the Goddess movement: Jewish and Christian feminists embrace the different experiences of menstruation instead of labelling it as a generally positive experience as spiritual feminists tend to do and turn around the negative attitude towards menstruation that is still alive in society today. In addition, the thesis looks at the views of Jewish Orthodox women on the practice of menstrual segregation, which they still practice. They had many different ideas, but they did agree on the fact that the women did not see themselves as less important and that they were being pushed away because of it. They did not feel like they had to exclude themselves from society because they were unclean. Even though many of the women they interviewed had some frustrations about the traditions, they still followed the rituals as it was just a part of their lives. Keywords: menstruation; purity and impurity; feminism; Orthodox Judaism; Leviticus.

Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisors (RUG):	Supervisor E-mail Tutor organization Tutor email Dijk, M. van Faculteit GGW, Christendom en Ideeengeschiedenis Mathilde.van.Dijk@rug.nl Bakker, A.F. Faculteit GGW, Jodendom, Christendom en Islam in formatieve fase a.f.bakker@rug.nl
Degree programme:	Bachelor Religiewetenschappen
Academic year:	2021-2022
Date of delivery:	17 Feb 2023 09:11
Last modified:	17 Feb 2023 09:11
URI:	https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/732

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