BySimon Rocker, Simon Rocker
A woman has been told by the Sephardi Beth Din that Jewish law prevents her standing for election to the mahamad (executive) of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation later this month.
Doris Osen is "frustrated and furious" at being denied the chance to become the first woman to serve on the executive of Britain's oldest synagogue body.
In a statement, the mahamad said that lay leaders "have now been clearly advised by the Beth Din that a lady cannot serve on the mahamad as the ascamot [constitutional rules] are presently constituted without this conflicting with halachic requirements".
But it added: "The Beth Din tell us that they will be happy to advise as to how a provision for women to serve on the mahamad could be incorporated in the revised ascamot, and will work with us in the hope that lady candidates may serve from next year."
Women can serve on the Board of Elders, the overall governing body, and Mrs Osen has put her name forward. But she is adamant that the existing constitutional rules only bar women from acting as warden or treasurer, and not elsewhere on the mahamad.
"They sound like they are doing everything they can for women - but they don't want me," she said. "They come with this unsubstantiated ploy that this is halachically unacceptable according to the London Beth Din, but they don't say that why it is unacceptable."
Mrs Osen has been highly critical of the existing mahamad over the events that led to the departure of Rabbi Natan Asmoucha from Bevis Marks Synagogue at the end of last year.