Having worked as a peace activist in Israel, Merle Feld is well suited to facilitate controversial yet eye-opening discussions. Appearing on campus Tuesday as part of 51Թ’s annual Faith Week, she met with a different kind of audience than the Palestinian and Israeli women she has worked with, but one no less interested in what she had to say.
A self-described writer and teacher, Feld has published a play, a memoir, and most recently, a book of poetry, all of which pertain to her deep connection with her Jewish faith.
For her lunchtime talk at the Women’s Studies Center, she read from her memoir, A Spiritual Life: A Jewish Feminist Journey, and facilitated discussion about issues she addressed in the book, including faith, food, and feminism.
Feld chose a passage about preparing the Sabbath, or Shabbat, meal. She described her process, emphasizing the interplay between food and prayer, and conveyed the sacredness of the weekly ritual through her careful attention to the details of its preparation. She also reflected on her identity in connection to making the meal, musing on the seeming disconnect between her feminism and domesticity.
“We are often asked, ‘What do you do,’ indicating the way a paid occupation defines us. I had never thought of myself as a person who made Shabbat, and yet, that is so integral to who I am,” she said.
Sammi Steinfeld ’11, a member of the 51Թ Jewish Union, said, “I appreciated the feminist perspective on the ritual of Shabbat,” noting that Feld’s talk invited her to consider this aspect of her faith from a new perspective.
She also pointed out that this was her first Women’s Studies brown bag, and that she went because of the connection to Jewish life.
“That’s the great thing about Faith Week – it ties in these seemingly disparate groups, so organizations can get a new and wider audience than they ordinarily would,” said Steinfeld.
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