Rhiannon Hendricks
The role of women in Jewish society has been a subject of debate for a long time. In Orthodox Jewish communities, traditional laws of modesty dictate that men are forbidden from hearing women sing, known as kol isha or the voice of a woman. This has prevented many Orthodox Jewish women from pursuing careers in music. However, with the advent of social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, some women are finding an audience online. While the Talmudic dictum states that the woman's voice is indecent, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, women can sing in front of their husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, and other male relatives. Additionally, Sephardi women have historically sung at weddings and other rituals where physical segregation between men and women was relaxed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Jewish women singing at weddings | Sephardi women have historically sung at weddings, but Orthodox Jewish women are forbidden from singing in front of men. |
| Jewish women singing in public | Jewish women can sing in public in front of an all-female audience. |
| Jewish women singing in Orthodox communities | Orthodox Jewish women are forbidden from singing in front of men, which has prevented them from pursuing careers in music. |
| Jewish women singing in liberal Orthodox congregations | Some liberal Orthodox congregations allow women to sing, as long as they remain on their side of the mechitza. |
| Jewish women's involvement in communal prayer | Jewish women have historically been involved in communal prayer, even in the Middle Ages, and new research is uncovering their involvement. |
| Jewish women's involvement in religious ceremonies | Jewish women are allowed to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem according to their custom, whether Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox. They can also read from the Torah and wear a tallit. |
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What You'll Learn
Orthodox Jewish women are barred from singing in front of men
Orthodox Jewish women are forbidden from singing in front of men, a prohibition that has prevented many from pursuing careers in music. This is due to an interpretation of a Talmudic dictum (Berachot 24a): "the woman's voice is indecent", which relates to the prohibition of a male reciting a blessing or prayer while hearing a woman singing. This has been expanded to any circumstance in which a woman sings.
However, this is not a universally accepted interpretation, and there are differing opinions on the matter. Some believe that the prohibition only applies to live singing, not recordings. Others believe that a woman's recorded or transmitted singing voice would not be prohibited if it is not sensual or if it is already familiar to the man listening.
The Sephardi Jewish community has a different interpretation of this rule, with Sephardi women singing in front of men at weddings and funerals. In the past, Sephardi women were also invited to sing at weddings as a form of entertainment.
Despite the prohibition, some Orthodox Jewish women are finding ways to share their musical talents with the world, particularly through social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. These platforms allow them to reach audiences without violating the traditional laws of modesty that dictate men should not hear women singing.
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Sephardi women sing at weddings
Sephardi women have a rich history of singing at weddings, with wedding songs being the most numerous of all women's songs in Sephardic culture. Ladino or Judeo-Spanish Sephardic songs are primarily sung by women, with musical traditions from northern Morocco and the Eastern Mediterranean, including today's Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans.
In the Ottoman regions, the lead female singer at a wedding was known as the "cantadera," and she, along with other female musicians known as "tanyederas," played a central role in wedding events. Tanyederas played the tambourine, an instrument of such importance that the saying "No hay boda sin pandero" ("there cannot be a wedding without a tambourine") exists in the Sephardic culture. In Morocco, the tambourine was typically called the "sonazha," and Sephardic women in Salonica also used kitchen utensils as percussion instruments, a practice still found in Spanish and Portuguese villages today.
Sephardic women's wedding songs were often accompanied by tambourines and other percussion instruments, though they also sang unaccompanied. The voice is always considered the most important element in Sephardic music. Sephardic women also sang ballads, either solo or in groups, in wedding contexts, as well as ritual songs a cappella.
While Sephardic women have traditionally sung at weddings, it is important to note that in Orthodox Jewish communities, there are restrictions on men listening to women singing. This prohibition, known as "kol isha" or "the voice of a woman," has prevented Orthodox Jewish women from pursuing careers in music. However, with the advent of social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, Orthodox Jewish women are now finding audiences for their music within all-female communities.
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Women can sing in front of an all-female audience
In Orthodox Judaism, men are forbidden from hearing women sing—this is known as kol isha, which translates to "the voice of a woman". This prohibition has prevented many Orthodox Jewish women from pursuing careers in music. However, this restriction does not apply to women singing in front of an all-female audience.
According to Talmudic dictum (Berachot 24a), "the woman's voice is indecent", which is why Jewish men are forbidden from listening to women sing. This prohibition has been expanded by some rabbis to include any circumstance in which a woman sings, not just during prayer or blessings. However, several halachic (Jewish law) authorities disagree, stating that a recording or radio transmission of a woman singing would not be prohibited.
In the past, Sephardi women sang Ladino folk songs within women's spaces and during rituals where physical segregation was relaxed, such as weddings and funerals. They also formed singing societies called compañas, which would sometimes be invited to perform at weddings. Today, some Orthodox Jewish women are finding ways to share their musical talents with the world through social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, ensuring that their audiences consist only of women and girls.
While the restriction on women singing in front of men has limited their involvement in music, it has not stopped them from pursuing their passions. Some women are finding creative ways to share their talents within the boundaries of their religious beliefs, such as by teaching voice and dance at religious girls' schools or by performing virtual concerts for all-female audiences.
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The Torah values the bond between a husband and wife
In Orthodox Judaism, an ancient prohibition has prevented women from singing in front of men, including at weddings. This is based on the concept of kol isha, which translates to "the voice of a woman". The Torah is said to value the bond between a husband and wife so highly that it does not allow for any potential damage to a man's undivided and unequivocal devotion and attraction to his partner.
In Jewish culture, marriage is viewed as a contractual bond commanded by God, in which a Jewish man and a Jewish woman unite to create a relationship in which God is directly involved. Marriage is seen as the merging of the husband and wife into a single soul, and a man is considered "incomplete" without a wife. The Talmud states that a man should love his wife as much as he loves himself and honour her more than he honours himself. The Talmud also forbids a husband from being overbearing in his household and condemns domestic abuse.
The Torah imposes a set of legal responsibilities on both the husband and wife. According to Rabbi Yehudah Cahn, these responsibilities cause each spouse to feel a greater attachment to each other and to develop greater feelings of love and concern. The Talmudic rabbis believed that a wife should fulfil the wishes of her husband, and in return, she deserves to share equally in his reward due to the deep emotional bond she develops with him.
Historically, Jewish views on marriage included protections for the wife. For example, if a husband and wife were taken captive, the rabbinic courts would first pay the ransom for the wife, even if it meant selling some of the husband's property. In the classical era, the death penalty for adultery was rarely applied, and there were several exemptions, including if the woman had been raped or had mistaken her paramour for her husband.
While Orthodox Judaism has traditionally discouraged women from singing in front of men, social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram have provided new opportunities for Orthodox Jewish women to share their singing with a wider audience.
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Women can sing at weddings with other men
In Orthodox Jewish communities, traditional laws of modesty dictate that men are forbidden from hearing women sing—this is known as kol isha, which translates to "the voice of a woman". This prohibition has prevented Orthodox Jewish women from pursuing careers in music. However, there are some exceptions and leniencies to this rule. For instance, according to Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg (1885-1966), it is permitted for women to sing along with other men.
In the past, Sephardi women of all ages sang as a form of resistance, not as passive "vessels" of song transmission. They performed Ladino folk songs within the time and space of women's activities, for audiences of women and children. Sephardi men could hear their women's songs at weddings and funerals, where physical segregation was relaxed. In addition, some Sephardi women were renowned as cantaderas, semi-professional singers who performed at weddings in Morocco.
Today, social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram have allowed Orthodox Jewish women to find an audience for their music, despite the restrictions they face in the physical world. For example, one Orthodox Jewish woman named Schwartz has gained nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram by posting music videos and hosting virtual concerts for women and girls only.
While the prohibition on men hearing women sing is a longstanding rule in Orthodox Judaism, it is not universally accepted. Some argue that the rule only applies to live singing, not recordings. Others point out that little boys are allowed to listen to women sing, and men can listen to their mothers, sisters, and daughters sing.
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Frequently asked questions
Jewish women are allowed to sing at weddings, but there are some nuances to this. Orthodox Jewish women are forbidden from singing in front of men, and this prohibition has prevented them from pursuing careers in music. However, Sephardi women have been known to sing at weddings, and some Orthodox Jewish women are finding an audience through social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
The Talmudic dictum (Berachot 24a) states that "the woman's voice is indecent," and this has been interpreted as a prohibition against men hearing women sing. This interpretation has been expanded by some to include any circumstance in which a woman sings, including recordings and radio transmissions. However, there are differing opinions on this matter, and some believe that the prohibition only applies to live singing.
Yes, there are some exceptions and leniencies to the rule. For example, Orthodox Jewish girls and women are allowed to sing in strictly female spaces, such as religious girls' schools and all-female audiences. Little boys are also allowed to listen to women sing, and men can listen to their mothers, sisters, and daughters sing.
It is not clear if Jewish women can sing at their own weddings. While there is a general prohibition against men hearing women sing, there may be some flexibility in this rule for weddings. In some Orthodox weddings, seating is separate, sometimes with a mechitza, which could allow for women to sing during the festivities without men hearing them.
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