Open Orthodoxy

Where Open Orthodoxy Ends: Your final destination for open review of fringe Orthodox Judaism. If you have comments, send them to OpenOrthodoxy@hotmail.com

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Open Orthodox congregations

The Yeshivat Chovevei Torah alumni page promises, "BRINGING OPEN ORTHODOX RABBINIC LEADERSHIP TO A COMMUNITY NEAR YOU!" YCT appears to be making good on that promise.

Rabbi Josh Feigelson, a Yeshivat Chovevei Torah alumnus, is the recently installed rabbinic advisor of the Kol Sasson congregation. The home page states:
At Kol Sasson, women lead kabbalat shabbat, pesukei dezimrah, the Torah service, and fully participate in the Torah reading. This is done in the context of a traditional minyan with ten men and a mechitza. For a detailed discussion of the halakhot surrounding women's participation in Torah reading and in leading some parts of the service, please visit the links on our site.
Rabbi Feigelson's congregation seems to be exactly like a Shira Hadasha egalitarian prayer congregation. I wonder if there is any difference? Rabbi Feigelson has been featured on this blog before:
- Pesach: Celebrate or Cancel
- Weeping for Psalms

Here is a previous blog post that descibes another, now defunct Open Orthodox congregation, Kidma: Open Orthodox rabbis further radicalize left-wing Orthodoxy