Page "Women in Judaism" Paragraph 34

Orthodox women more recently began holding organized women's tefila ( prayer ) groups beginning in the 1970s.

While no Orthodox legal authorities agree that women can form a minyan ( prayer quorum ) for the purpose of regular services, women in these groups read the prayers and study Torah.

A number of leaders from all segments of Orthodox Judaism have commented on this issue, but it has had little impact on Haredi and Sephardi Judaism.

However, the emergence of this phenomenon has enmeshed Modern Orthodox Judaism in a debate which still continues today.

There are three schools of thought on this issue: