Female officers will boost shuls at every level

After my mum died last year, I went to shul almost every day to say Kaddish for her, for the 11-month period of mourning — which is not a common practice for women in my shul. As a result, there is now a mechitzah for the weekday services, so any woman who would like to attend now knows that there is a place for her.

Towards the end of my mourning, a woman said to me on Shabbat: “You are saying Kaddish for all of us.” I felt proud but I was also saddened that others might feel uncomfortable saying Kaddish for a loved one. There are in fact numerous women who say Kaddish quietly and I believe that with support, many more might want to do so, confidently and proudly.

The advent of the new “women’s officer” proposed by the Chief Rabbi and the United Synagogue will open up this opportunity and others like it for women in the United Synagogue.

The role will mean at least one woman in a senior leadership role in US communities. Given that women represent 54 per cent of US membership, I believe it is crucial that women are involved in decision-making for their community. Shuls which already have a woman serving as an honorary officer (such as my own shul, Bushey United Synagogue) will now benefit from a much more balanced conversation at executive level, on every aspect of communal life, not just on women’s issues. This development is a step towards ensuring that having women in leadership roles in US shuls becomes the norm.