Interview Questions

1. Can you describe your background in Judaism? Family, upbringing, religious ties, traditional Jewish practices, involvement in community life, etc.

2. When and how did you first become aware of the feminist movement? When and how did you become involved?

3. Were you involved in any other kinds of political activism previously or in addition to your activism in the feminist movement?

4. Did you have any role models in the feminist movement? In the Jewish community?

5. Was any of your feminist activism specifically Jewish? Did you belong to any Jewish feminist groups or community?

6. Have you ever participated in a feminist seder? If so, what was your experience?

7. As a feminist activist, what issues were most important to you? What were the successes of your activism and what sorts of obstacles or setbacks did you face?

8. What specific actions or projects were you involved with?

9. How (if at all) do you feel your Jewish identity influenced your experience in the feminist movement?

10. Were you involved in any feminist activism for religious reform within Judaism?

11. How did feminism and your involvement in the feminist movement influence your career and/or education choices?

12. What is your definition of feminism? What does feminism mean to you based on your experiences?

13. In terms of building personal relationships, was it important to you to be involved with someone who is Jewish? Why or why not? Was it important for you to be with someone who was a feminist?

14. What were the effects of feminism on your personal relationships, with a partner, with parents and other family members, with children (if you have them)?

15. What are your feelings toward Betty Friedan as a Jewish leader of the second-wave feminist movement? Did you read The Feminine Mystique? Do you remember the line about the ‘comfortable concentration camp? If so, what was your reaction?

16. Betty Fridan was also known to be openly homophobic at one point in her feminist activism calling lesbians in the movement the ‘lavender menace.’ Did you experience any of these tensions between homo- and heterosexual women in the movement? How were these tensions dealt with? And finally, because Friedan was such a public figure making these statements do you feel that they reflect on all Jewish women in the movement – were tensions between lesbian feminists and Jewish feminists increased by Friedan’s statements? (make sure that these questions – like others, build after listening to responses)

17. What kind of environment did you experience in terms of feminism and Judaism at the university level? How has it changed since you were a student? Is it more or less accepting of feminist and/or Jewish viewpoints?

18. Did you ever experience anti-Semitism among feminist circles or feel that your Jewish identity was ignored or belittled? In 1982, Letty Cottin Pogrebin wrote this article, “Anti-Semitism and the Women’s Movement.” Did you know about it? How did you respond to the piece? Did her statements connect with anything in your experience?

19. What was your experience with bringing women of different identities (race, class, sexuality) together under feminism?

20. What are your thoughts on the third-wave feminist movement and feminists of today? What do you see as its successes and failures? Steps it needs to be taking?

21. What are your thoughts on the third-wave feminist movement and feminists today? Has feminism now become a dirty word – and what does it mean for women and the movement if it has?

22. What kind of advice do you have for young women today?


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