Knowledge versus Status: Discursive Struggle in Women's Batei Midrash

Women's entrance into the traditionally male turf of Talmud study brings about new experiences and challenges. The encounter between traditional limud in institutions of Jewish study and the new female students is a novel situation. This unique setting gives rise to a struggle between a liberal "yeshiva for women" discourse, revolving around the notion of women's integration into the traditional structures, and an innovative and a potentially disruptive discourse that emerges from the women's own experience—an "experience-based" discourse. This study examines the status of women in batei midrash in terms of their ability to express their needs and insights and to form women's frameworks to suit these needs.