What are Judaism's superordinate values, according to Falk?

Which Jewish values, customs, beliefs do we see exemplified in the Western tradition, American public life, political culture?

Are Jewish understandings of women's roles, duties, capacities commensurate with those of American society?

Falk, like many of the authors in Raines and Magure, emphasizes Justice – Abraham imitatio dei, to observe equity and justice (132)

Also as we find in other chapters, Falk differentiates among tiers of religious texts
Torah (divine scripture) and Halakhah (rabbinical law)

Makes a plea for pluralism – room for both patriarchal and feminist views in Judaism ? He says this is necessary in a monotheist faith (141)

Argues for a “dynamic” view of the Torah, i.e., allowing for modern interpretation

Other teachings/textual references supporting this view:
the community of Israel is the “mouthpiece of God” and is supposed to use its understanding and inner light for guidance (136)

Loving kindness should prevail of stern judgment (136)

Man should listen to his wife rather than follow the Torah if he does it for God’s sake (not theirs) (137)

Justice, justice you shall pursue (Deut. 16:20)

Women in Jewish Religious Practice:
Halakhah (rabbinical law) exempted women from Torah study and “time-bound” commandments (139)
lowering the status of women in the faith

Points to women’s participation (or it seems mere presence to me) at scripture readings, singing in the choir, celebrations in 2 Chron. 15:13; Ezra 2:654; Neh. 7:67; Exod. 15:20; mNeh. 8:2; Exod.38:8; 1 Sam. 2:22)

Middle Ages, women participated in many congregational and domestic rites (139)

Talks of “autoemancipation” of women – i.e., they just start doing the stuff anyway
[is this enough?  Is this the way it is to be done? Can this be done?]

More formally, have organized some official roles for women as “Rabbinic pleaders” and the Derishah Institute organizes and certifies women’s study of the Torah (140)
Non-Orthodox congregations have women participate.  Reform Judaism even ordains women rabbis.

Purging of sexist language (140)

Falk wants to heed demands of Jewish feminists yet, no cause for optimism.  Orthodox rabbinal courts and rabbis – men only

Uphold double standards found in Torah – father controls daughter’s marriage (although bride must consent), husband given control of wife at marriage ceremony, disregard of wife’s will for divorce (husband must agree, but she cannot block his request), polygamy but not polyandry (138)

Women’s prayer groups attacked at Western Wall in Jerusalem (140)

Rather than allow women to get a divorce without the agreement of the “recalcitrant husband” they have allowed sanctions to force his consent (forfeit his right to hold Israeli driver’s license, can lose his right to run for office or engage in some professions, may be prevented from having a bank account).  In US introduced prenuptial agreement imposing financial and liturgical sanctions against recalcitrant husbands (140)

He calls for further protections for women here including the right of the rabbinical courts to annul marriages (143)

Encourages more organized study of the Torah for women (142)