December
2003 News:
A Farewell from Alice
"It
used to be told of some of the great prima donnas
of the early twentieth century that they were so
reluctant to abandon their careers on the stage,
even when they were long past their prime, that
they would have each new production billed as “positively
their last appearance”—thus ensuring that fans would
show up in large numbers to applaud them on this
emotion-laden occasion. And then, some time later,
unable to give up the glare and glamour of the footlights,
there they were again. – Another “positively last
appearance.”
I
feel a little like those prima donnas, since this
is actually the fourth time that I am being honoured
with a farewell party. The previous ones were, respectively,
from the English Department of the Hebrew University,
where I taught for 40 years, Pelech School for Girls,
which I headed for fifteen, and the Israel Women’s
Network, where I served as chairwoman from its founding
in 1984 until 2000. Now I am leaving Schechter after
a mere seven years as, successively, rector, president
and chair of the Board. But I promise this will
definitely be my final appearance, because what
I am now going to be primarily engaged in – working
with my husband on his magnum opus, a Comprehensive
Historical Encyclopedia of Jewish Women – will not
rate a retirement party and the next time I leave
my worldly tasks I shall not be around to hear whatever
eulogies or encomiums may be delivered.
I
have greatly enjoyed my time at Schechter. As I
have said more than once, this institution enabled
me to bring together the three ideologies to which
I have attempted to adhere in my adulthood – Judaism,
Zionism and feminism. The Judaism of Schechter is
the same open, tolerant yet totally committed Judaism
that I imbibed in my parents’ home. Annually, we
award the Schechter Prize for religious tolerance,
which has been won by some remarkable men and women.
As Prof. Schorsch so aptly put it, Schechter is
“passionately Jewish, but respectful of diversity.”
Diversity without divisiveness.
Schechter
is also a Zionist institution, yet one at which
fulfillment of Zionist ideals is not perceived as
necessitating the denial of another people to its
own homeland. As for feminism, I am proud of the
fact that there are now as many women as men studying
in our Rabbinical School, that we were the first
to launch an M.A. track in Judaism and Women’s Studies,
that we initiated a unique periodical on Women’s
Studies, appropriately entitled NASHIM and that
we operate the Centre for Women and Jewish Law,
which began by presenting halakhic solutions to
the vexed problems of iggun and women refused divorce,
but is now branching out to dealing with other issues
relating to the status of women in Judaism.
What
I particularly like at Schechter is the collegiality,
the excellent personal relations between faculty
and students, the hustle and bustle of social and
intellectual exchange that fills its corridors and
its cafeteria, the creativity of many of the faculty-members.
I am delighted that we are the first academic institution
to have established a multi-disciplinary programme
on Judaism and the Arts (not to be confused with
the Jewish Art courses taught at other universities).
I deeply regret that lack of funding has forced
us to discontinue the remarkable Artists’ Beit Midrash,
the fruits of which we so proudly and successfully
displayed a year ago.
I
could go on and on singing the praises of Schechter
– though in all honesty, as my colleagues know,
I also have some criticisms. But this is neither
the time nor place to voice those. Now is the time
to express my thanks to all those with whom I have
worked these seven years – the Board of Governors
and its distinguished Chairman, Robert Rifkind,
a man of wit and wisdom; the members of the Executive
Board which I chaired; our president, Rabbi Prof.
Dr. David Golinkin, whose immense knowledge of Jewish
sources and ability to find among them the appropriate
bon mot for any and every occasion are truly awe-inspiring;
the faculty members, who were usually prepared to
implement the most way-out ideas and challenges
with which I presented them; the able, extremely
pleasant and devoted administrative staff, particularly
those who never complained at having to decipher
my handwriting; and, last but by no means least,
the students in the occasional courses which I taught,
who never grumbled, even when I presented them with
an all-English bibliography.
There
are many others to whom I am bound in gratitude,
who have encouraged and supported me. One is my
brother, William Margulies, of whom I can truly
say that, were it not for him, I would not have
had the academic career which enabled me to be here
today. Then there are my children, who have, on
the whole, been understanding of my frequent absences
from home. But above all, the one person who has
been an unfailing, though not always uncritical,
sharer in all I do – my beloved husband, Moshe,
a true partner and ňćř ëđâăé. I am so happy that
now I shall, literally, be an ňćř ëđâăĺ. Thank you
– all of you – and God bless you for your support
and your affection."
Ha'aretz article A
feminist in modest clothing
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