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Autonomy , Halakhah , and Mitzvah 37

be included. The responsum is a post hoc justification of current practice.

The Matriarchs in the tefilah.[1] It has become the widespread minhag(custom) in our congregations to add the names of the imahot, the Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel, to the names of the Patriarchs in the first benediction of the tefilah.[2] The motive for this change in the traditional prayer text was to express our understanding that all Jews , both male and female, participate equally in Israel 's covenant with God and to give voice to the role of our Matriarchs in the transmission of that covenant to their descendants. This innovation is consistent with the liturgical tradition of the Reform movement, which from its inception has embraced the notion that the formal, public prayer recited in our synagogues should reflect our people's most deeply held values and commitments.

Then in what would be an unusual move in

Responsa originating in the Orthodox and Conservative movement is a footnote that is as follows:

It is not the function of this Committee to determine the text, structure, or wording of the new prayer book of the Central Conference of American Rabbis(CCAR). Those tasks belong to the prayer book's editors, as overseen by the CCAR Liturgy Committee. We therefore venture no opinion here as to the appropriate text of the new siddur. We consider this