tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post1334389579501038065..comments2024-02-26T10:21:44.313-05:00Comments on Teruah - Jewish Music: Kol IshaJackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16150135572952331382noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-28772844211755875502010-12-17T10:36:21.151-05:002010-12-17T10:36:21.151-05:00@anonymous It hurts my heart to hear how torn you&...@anonymous It hurts my heart to hear how torn you've been, feeling like you're forced to choose between "religion" and singing. I don't think that's how it has to be... I'm an Orthodocx woman, and a singer in a Jewish band, and I've had to face some of these issues, too. Please know that there are frum communities that support women's voices! You're not alone in confronting kol isha, as I think you realized from Jack's incredible blog, but if you ever want to talk more about this, please feel free to write - I would love to be in touch: info@stereosinai.com. :)MiriamStereo Sinaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632538450604595914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-65793896753850944032010-12-14T00:45:49.590-05:002010-12-14T00:45:49.590-05:00I'm so glad you wrote. Being a Torah observant...I'm so glad you wrote. Being a Torah observant woman and being musically inclined is a tough balancing act. But don't feel it's an either or situation. While the opportunities for women-only performances are significantly fewer than men-only and mixed, they do exist and can be increased. Try to find other women who are equally interested...they're out there. Make sure you understand what's prohibited and why and don't make assumptions.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16150135572952331382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-22996002113229414172010-12-13T18:28:29.617-05:002010-12-13T18:28:29.617-05:00I'm so glad I found someone to share how I fee...I'm so glad I found someone to share how I feel! I'm only 12, but since I was 10 and learned the rule of kol isha I sit down and cry.I used to be in plays,and my drama teacher encouraged me to keep singing, when I explained why she told me I would have to pick between religion and singing. she was shocked when I said religion. I still cry about this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-77148359727622701762010-10-25T11:11:29.031-05:002010-10-25T11:11:29.031-05:00Angie...whoops. You sure did. Grin. That's a g...Angie...whoops. You sure did. Grin. That's a great story. You'd be surprised how much that happens. I know a guy who turned down a similar music teaching gig because he was (rightly) concerned about how older girls singing (an expectation of the school) was going to be received by the supporters of the school. He was right. It didn't go well for the guy who eventually took the job.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16150135572952331382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-44449798897303992862010-10-25T07:38:04.065-05:002010-10-25T07:38:04.065-05:00I wrote a blog post on how I accidently violated K...I wrote a blog post on how I accidently violated Kol Isha.angiehttp://story.creativeconnectionarts.com/2010/10/24/how-i-accidently-violated-kol-isha/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-47362705622759519372008-12-22T21:43:00.000-05:002008-12-22T21:43:00.000-05:00Good luck with your discussion. This is a hard top...Good luck with your discussion. This is a hard topic because, I think, because our basic notion is that the more we learn and observe Torah the better we are as people and the better to people we are. Kol Isha, to a liberal Jew seems to run counter to that. I happily deny myself bacon wrapped scallops, but have a much harder time denying myself listening to a female singer. It's not just because I'm a sucker for music (which I am) but because my basic intuitions about equality and compassion say that musician is a singer first and a women second. The frum community would say that Torah should define our sense of equality and compassion. So what to do when it doesn't?<BR/><BR/>Speaking of Torah, when ExperienceTorah wrote that Kol Isha is Torah she wasn't wrong about the Torah part, just the pure and simple part. I heard a joke from an Orthodox friend once that went..."The difference between Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews is that Orthodox Jews have two Torah's (written & oral), Conservative Jews have one (just written), and Reform have no Torahs." She meant that Kol Isha was written in the Talmud and therefore isn't open to question.<BR/><BR/>I'd love to hear how you're planning on structuring the discussion and how it turns out. Please write back.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16150135572952331382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-89783008290755622812008-12-22T19:56:00.000-05:002008-12-22T19:56:00.000-05:00I am a conserva-dox woman, and will be leading a d...I am a conserva-dox woman, and will be leading a discussion at my home in late January on Kol Isha, called Kol Isha: Can You Hear Me Now? I am reading every source and blog on the topic and I appreciate your thoughtful comments Jack. It is indeed a very controversial topic even amongst those Jews who are orhtodox. Some accept this interpretation (this is not Torah as one writer assumed) and some do not. Many of us have not been able to fully embrace Orthodoxy because of Kol Isha, and like the prohibition on homosexuality, feel it's likely a misinterpretation, and that both of these issues need to change. But like some Rabbi's say, Judaism does change..but slowly...like a tanker trying to turn!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-26791691958917316672008-11-11T15:59:00.000-05:002008-11-11T15:59:00.000-05:00It's messier than that. Even in the Orthodox commu...It's messier than that. Even in the Orthodox community (including in the Talmud) there is disagreement about the exact rulings regarding Kol Isha. I'm not sure why "as a woman" this is "personally" valuable to you. My understanding is that Kol Isha prevents men from hear you, not the other way around. You can hear a man's singing voice without being in violation. Do you say "personally" because you personally find Torah observance important and wish to help men not be in violation? If that is the case, then I may not be able to help much. Not being a Rabbi and qualified to render rabinic decisions, I'm not sure that my judgement on what does or does not violate Kol Isha rulings would be all that reassuring to Orthodox men. Clearly, I and my blog do not comply with Kol Isha, though I cherish the Torah. I'm not sure how to best handle the situation. It is something I've thought about, and talked with other folks in the community about, but haven't come to any satisfactory decision about. The interesting thing is that I have many Orthodox and Chassidic men as readers and none have ever complained about my handling or asked for a change. They seem to trust their judgment about when to listen to music.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16150135572952331382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291247664835034127.post-47181282875591068402008-11-11T15:45:00.000-05:002008-11-11T15:45:00.000-05:00as a woman I wish you would label the songs becaus...as a woman I wish you would label the songs because for those of us who value the Torah and wish to follow its teachings we need this information. You say it is an orthodox decree that is not true it is Torah pure and simple. Torah is meant to change you and mold you to subvert the ego, it is not for us to change and alter the word of G-d.Kremshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01237075615760810059noreply@blogger.com