Journal of Jewish Education, 75:4–18, 2009 Copyright © Network for Research in Jewish Education ISSN: 1524-4113 print / 1554-611X online DOI: 10.1080/15244110802654567 4 UJJE 1524-4113 1554-611X Journal of Jewish Education, Vol. 75, No. 1, January 2009: pp. 1–25 Journal of Jewish Education Tradition versus Egalitarianism in the Thinking of Jewish-American Adolescents Tradition versus Egalitarianism Journal of Jewish Education STUART Z. CHARMÉ This article describes results from interviews with Jewish teenagers about the tension between adherence to tradition and commitment to egalitarianism in relation to issues like women in the rabbinate, women wearing ritual garments like kipot and talitot, and gender separation at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. For many teens, egal- itarian values trumped traditional objections to female rabbis and other forms of participation in synagogue life in America; however, they were more hesitant to challenge gender separation at the Kotel in Israel, where the purported antiquity and authenticity of Orthodox tradition is more readily accepted. “Tradition is the illusion of permanence.” –Woody Allen (in Deconstructing Harry) Feminist perspectives on Judaism have been responsible for some of the most important changes in Jewish practice in the last generation, particularly the insistence on egalitarianism as a central consideration for Jewish liturgy, ritual, and clergy. Yet, feminist revisions and reinterpretations of Judaism have simultaneously raised complex questions regarding the notion of Jewish “tradition.” For some people, feminist values and “traditional” Jewish values have been seen as incompatible. When changes or innovations are made to that which is familiar or traditional, some people react with objections about the legitimacy or authenticity of what is new. Even many early Jewish feminists felt they had to choose between two conflicting sides of themselves, one tied to Jewish tradition and one committed to feminist values like egalitarianism. Over the last decade, I have been investigating how Jewish children and adolescents navigate this issue of integrating their Jewish identities with their gender identities and how they respond to some of the gender issues Stuart Z. Charmé is Professor of Religion at Rutgers University (Camden campus) where he also is an associate at the Center for the Study of Children and Childhood.