Before reading this article, I never would have guessed that baking challah was a gendered act in Judaism. I can't say it doesn't make sense, because women used to be associated with domestic tasks such as cooking and cleaning (and, unfortunately, still are in some cultures/religions). But assuming that baking challah is a job that can only be done by women is just plain silly, at least in my opinion. And apparently I share that opinion with several other Jewish men. According to the article, "challah baking has become increasingly popular among Jewish men." They even consider it a way of honoring Shabbat- liking how it impresses Shabbat guests and enjoying the intimate feeling it brings when using a family recipe. While it's recognizable that challah baking is associated with femininity, its gendered heritage is unclear especially when compared to traditions such as lighting the candles and immersing in the mikveh (ritual bath)- both of which have stronger female identities.
I have yet to decide whether this article makes me feel better or worse about gender equality within Judaism. While it's great news that a previously considered feminine act has now become so popular among men, its also kind of dumb (for lack of a better word) to even gender an act such as baking challah. But that's just how I'm looking at the situation...I guess I was just surprised at the fact that such a simple task was labeled as "feminine." However, it's mind-easing to know that it is increasing in popularity among men. This proves that labeling tasks as "masculine" or "feminine" is pointless because, in future societies, the gender that the task was previously associated with may change. I can't say that I care a lot about this for the sole reason that Reform Judaism does not associate any acts with the male or female gender, but men baking challah could reveal to Orthodox Jews that gendered tasks, in reality, are unisex.
http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/198163/challah-and-the-men-who-bake-it
While the debate over gender roles in challah baking seemed to me a diminutive issue at first, I completely agree that it may be the start to a new perception of society, one in which tradition is not defined by man or woman. I also see challah baking not as a religious obligation, but as a tradition. There are no explicit religious laws from the Tanakh stating who must make the challah, rather, it has become a modern expectation that whoever stands behind the kitchen counter must be female. This is hypocrisy in it of itself. Do we not have male chefs and caterers and stay at home dads? Why then should masculinity be restricted from entering the challah culture? Challah baking is a tradition, and the rules that define it in its exactness are impartial to its creator's gender, making it not a religious issue. Do we ban men from tradition? No. This situation is occurring merely because we, as a modern society opposed to change, are scared to differ the curriculum, scared to provoke even a minuscule percent of the population, scared to accept the inevitability of the increasingly tolerant world.
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