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51

The Case of Feminism— Mechanisms of Change 69

Earlier Isaac Mayer Wise 's American Israelite or Isaac Leeser ’s The Occident could have become forums for a philosophical or theological debate on the issue of feminism, but that did not happen. Nor were the serialized stories so popular with the readers, especially of Wise 's German language Deborah, used to further the cause of feminism

RESPONSA BY COMMITTEE

Yet the pendulum did not swing in only one direction, for Kaufmann Kohler felt the need for a solid basis in tradition for specific questions that rabbinic colleagues raised and in 1906 established the Responsa Committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.” Soon some responsa were published in its Yearbooks along with the report of the committee. The very fact of Creating responsa through a committee rather than through a single scholar was novel and a bow to the democratic impulse. The Conference rarely turned to the committee for halakhic guidance, however, before debating and adopting major matters. So, for example, my long responsum on patrilineal descent was written after the decision had been made. In other words, this older method of reaching decisions continued for many practical matters of daily life that concerned both the rabbis and the congregants but was generally fot used by committee chairs or the broader Conference as a body.

A major exception to this was the question of women’s ordination as the Conference sought the advice from the chair of the Responsa Committee; the issue had been raised at the College in 1921 a Martha Neumark, the candidate asked to be assigned a high holiday Pulpit as a student rabbi. She narrowly received a positive vote from the faculty with Kaufmann Kohler , the President of the College,

reaking the tie. Kohler then turned to the Board of Governors to consider the broader question of ordination.” At the same time Professor Jacob Lauterbach of the College (1873-1942) was asked