ght of religious freedom so cherished in American life.
The separation of men and women in public places has a long and complex history. Biblical sources refer to women as singers, dancers, and mourners, showing that they were present at communal events, and other sources indicate that women were participants at Temple public celebrations. The issue of the mehitzah centers not on the presence of women in the synagogue but on their place in the synagogue. At the present time, a variety of seating arrangements exists and range from mixed pews to balconies and separate rooms. Many Jews assume that the separate seating model derives from ancient patterns, but this is uncertain given the state of research on the issue at the present time. The absence of a mehitzah in a synagogue does not itself indicate mixed seating, since men and women could sit separately without a barrier. Some researchers have concluded that women did not attend synagogue in ancient times, but the evidence for this is also uncertain. In any case, what is important is that the practice of separation did begin at some point:
Whether its origin was in biblical, late antique, or medieval times, the mehitzah has become a symbol of denominational allegiances and policies in the twentieth century.
The uncertainty over the archaeological and historical records are compounded by the equal ambiguities of the halakhic issues. Jewish law, the halakah, is based on more than 600 commandments, the mitzvahs, laid down by God and given to Moses in the Torah. This body of law is intended to control every aspect of existence for the pious Jew, and he is expected to obey every mitzvah. Yet, in the halakhic record, questions remain about the requirement that the sexes be separated for prayer as well as for public occasions. The wording of the text in the Talmud is unclear, and nowhere do the codes explicitly require a mehitzah. There are some references to the ezra...