higher percentage than in an Orthodox synagogue.” A contemporary scholar , Aaron Chorin , expressed himself strongly that Jew ish services should appeal to both sexes.” An appeal for the proper education of women was published by Abraham Geiger along with reports on the state of youth education in the various regions of Bavaria , Prussia, Westphalia, and so on,” but we are not informed about any positive response. Strangely enough, these educational steps were neither defended on halakhic grounds by the incipient Reform movement nor attacked by the Orthodox . These initiatives got under way slowly.
The first efforts to change the status of women were defended through traditional methods. Enough rabbinic statements permitted the use of the vernacular in prayer and others permitted the education of women. When these matters were attacked, it was more out of fear of what would come next. This was similar to Ezekiel Landau ’s attack on Mendelssohn 's Torah translation. He knew that traditional Judaism could not be opposed in prin
ciple but saw it as a dangerous opening to the outside world.’
The Pioneers
The first official change, as we have seen, came about through education and Confirmation; the latter eventually raised some mild halakhic objections, as a new ceremony and as an imitation of Christianity , but that was minor compared to the other reforms that were vigorously attacked.
Some of the early Reform prayerbooks omitted the blessing “You have not made me a woman,” and this change was discussed by Abraham Geiger who objected vigorously to the traditional explanation that it merely indicated that the male thanked God for the obligations of assuming the commandments.” This, however, did not lead specifically to Orthodox opposition, as it was one of many changes in the liturgy that were far more radical: dropping the musaf service, eliminating the repetition of the amidah, and rejecting virtually all piyutim, and others. A thorough review of the fine study by Jakob Petuchowski shows absolutely nothing on this berakhah."? David Novak , who analyzed this berakhah and its mean
ing subsequently, indicated little interest in this change among the