Women as Uninvited Guests

Several years ago, our congregation built a new synagogue building. They made a nice, wide central entrance with a covered doorway for the men. The women have two options to enter the building; either a side door or a door that's on the front of the building. The side door is nondescript and practical. The front entrance is at the top of concrete steps that are uncovered and extremely slippery in many types of weather.

There is no entrance for handicapped women.

When elderly women wish to participate in the services, a special request must be made for the men to set up a partition in the back of the men's section on the main floor.

The rest of the women walk up three flights of stairs to the balcony, with no accommodation for any infirmities that would make this climb difficult.

Once seated, women cannot see into the massive hall downstairs where the main services take place. Only women seated in the front row can see the Rabbi or Prayer Leader - if they hunch forward or stand up.

How did this architectural discrimination occur?

Not one woman was formally on the planning board for the new building. Some women voiced their opinions to their husbands. But the board members did not survey the women as to what would work for them. The few men with influence and/or money made the decisions for everyone else.

Women, as usual, are being given short shrift. We are allowed to participate, as long as we don't make any trouble.