Lived regulations, systemic attributions: Menstrual separation and ritual immersion in the experience of orthodox Lewish women

The rules that govern lewis h Orthodox women 's bodies, in particular those of' ritual purity and immersion, are often criricized as patriarchal and an expression of'oppression or domination. This study challenges the structuralist analysis of the regimen of' ritual purity by examini ng how religious women themselves live and experience this system. The authors interviewed 30 Orthodox Jewish women living in Israel who observe these rituals in an efji1rt to hear their experiences. The women 's expression of'their experiences moved beyond the conventiona/, schematic abstractions of' the oppression-empowerment dichotomy into a multitextw·ed rang e of' responses. This article presents the ways in which they voiced this multiplicity ojfeelings and experiences.