Antje Vollmer

Leaving Protected Houses

[German]

How can faith and the new forms society has developed for living in groups be reconciled? How can a modern woman introduce herself into a time-honoured system without destroying it? I’m extraordinarily pleased to give the welcoming address at this conference, because I’ve always wondered about these questions. I’ve had the good fortune and challenge of entering political life at a time when the position of women was infinitely different from the role they play today. I saw how emancipation was practised in the “revolutionary times” of the 1960s and 1970s. I fought for it and struggled to see it did not fail and developed, moving from pseudo-emancipation to genuine freedom. As women’s roles changed, the entire society followed suit. The traditional conception of the family as a fundamental element of the community had to be altered. Working women and new types of work and leisure activity affected the interests of men and women, creating a demand for new concepts for coexistence.

Incorporating these worldly developments into the Jewish tradition requires a great deal of courage. The women taking part in this conference and in the first conference two years ago have demonstrated they have what it takes to tackle the task at hand. They left the protection of their homes and dared to go out into the world. They became rabbis and cantors, showing that women enrich, rather than disrupt the act of prayer. They have shown it is possible to profess faith together with men without being disrespectful.

That this is now possible is a sign that the major currents of the times can not be stopped, not even by religions and traditions. In turbulent times like these, religion and tradition should offer stability. But they can only do this if the people who turn to faith and time-honoured ritual trust that they can bring solace. It is only through tolerance and openness that this trust can be built.

(An excerpt from the opening address of the conference)

Dr. Antje Vollmer is vice president of the German parliament, the Bundestag, where she represents the party Alliance 90/the Greens.