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The Choices of Marriage One Couples Att

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When faced with the inherent gender inequalities of traditional Jewish marriage ceremonies, one couple embarked on a groundbreaking journey to reconcile egalitarian values with halakhic (Jewish legal) frameworks. Jill Jacobs and Guy Izhak Austrian meticulously analyzed classical Jewish texts, including Talmudic and medieval rabbinic sources, to identify permissible variations within established legal parameters. Their innovative approach yielded several key modifications: they rewrote the birkat eirusin (betrothal blessing) using alternative formulations found in medieval sources to eliminate male-centric language; replaced the traditional acquisition-based kiddushin declaration with mutual "life partner" vows; and employed a double conditional kiddushin (kiddushin al t'nai) structure requiring both parties' active participation for the marriage to take legal effect. An egalitarian ketubah (marriage contract) served as a central component, ensuring that both partners assumed equal obligations. While their solution successfully addresses several patriarchal elements within traditional Jewish marriage law, it represents one experimental solution among many needed for couples seeking gender-equitable religious ceremonies. Their work contributes to ongoing feminist innovations within Conservative Jewish practice and demonstrates possibilities for halakhic evolution while maintaining religious authenticity.

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    Published 2012

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