Kohenet movement

The Kohenet movement is a Jewish feminist religious movement. "Kohenet" is Hebrew for priestess, and is the title given to members of the movement who have undergone ordination.^[1] The group, and its original organizing body the Kohenet Institute, were founded in 2005 by Rabbi Jill Hammer and Taya Shere. Its first ordinations began in 2006.^[2] The movement has sometimes been accused of paganism or heresy, due to its use of the term priestess and view of God as feminine.^[3] Some describe it as belonging to a broader movement called "Goddess Judaism",^[4][5] though not all adherents view the divine as a woman (some instead see God as non- or multi-gendered).^[6]

The kohenet's beliefs are primarily based on Kabbalistic teachings, feminism, and ecological religious perspectives.^[1] It also tries to provide space for queer Jews and non-white Jews.^[3] There is also some influence from other religions and Near Eastern myths,^[2][7] and pre-Rabbinic Judaism.^[8] Rabbi Hammer faced frustrations with other Jews, and particularly other women, for centering heteropatriarchal attitudes in perceiving God. One incident she particularly remembered was another woman telling her God couldn't be a woman, because she would be incapable of enforcing morality. Rather than deterring her from forging a novel path, this deepened her conviction.^[1] In her studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, she found an absence of women's perspectives in many areas.^[3] However, she also developed an interest in the midrashim focusing on women, and realized there was a clear tradition of women serving as community spiritual leaders throughout history.^[8] Taya Shere struggled in similar ways, joining other religious movements that centered women more,^[8] including Candomblé, before returning to Judaism.^[1] Many kohenets feel that egaltarian Judaism still hasn't gone as far as it needs to in addressing patriarchy.^[9]

Meditation, movement, and music are major elements of kohenet rituals. Innovation of ritual and theology is welcomed.^[3] Members of the movement frequently take on new names.^[1] Members do mikveh immersion,^[10] observe Shabbat and study the Torah weekly as other Jewish groups do.^[3] They are encouraged by the movement literature to do the traditional prayers on a regular basis and rejuvenate their connection to them.^[1] It is primarily open to women and non-binary people,^[11] but men also take part in events.^[12]

The idea of "priestess" is part innovation and part based on obscured examples of female sacred service, such as tzavot, who are known to have served at the entrance of the mishkan but are not spoken of in any further detail. Hammer believes these roles were gradually obscured, with the first exile of 586 BC dealing a major blow to them.^[13] She compares the suppression and loss of female spiritual roles to that of the letter ghayin; a letter symbolizing the "ng" sound (still extant in Arabic) that fell out of use in the early biblical period, supplanted by the ayin, and which probably resembled a twisted cord.^[1] Letters have a particular significance in Judaism, with some believing the only thing God revealed to Moses and the people at Mount Sinai was the letter aleph.^[14] The letter, to Hammer, represents the suppressed voice of the prophetess, and claims that before she knew of it's existence, she dreamed she gave a lecture on a missing Hebrew letter symbolizing "ng", and the attendant theological implications. This led her to research and confirm the reality of her dream.^[1]

The movement literature draws on archeology and historical analysis regarding the presence of things like Asherah poles in the Jerusalemite Temple for most of it's existence to argue for a modern re-acceptance of women in clerical roles and goddess imagery. Additionally, the Talmud makes mention of women in the priestly caste receiving priestly offerings and being allowed to eat sacred food, though they could not perform temple rites. It also discusses the bamot (high places) as acceptable worship sites in abscene of a temple, (and who existed alongside the temple until Hezekiah). At the bamot it was permissible to officiate women into religious service. They cite Tzipporah (acting to save Moses during their journey to Egypt from spiritual attack), Miriam (a Levite, and holder of the title neviah), and Deborah as named figures filling a priestess or prophetess role in scripture. Francesca Sarah of Safed (who had sacred visions), Rebbetzin Malka of Belz, Hannah Rachel Werbermacher (both Hasidic figures), and Colette Alboulker-Moscat (a Kabbalist) are cited as more recent historical examples.^[1]

Base ordination consists of four retreats over 18^[2] to 24 months.^[15] Students are given the title tzovah, meaning "keeper of sacred space and time".^[2] This course of study is called "Netivot" and introduces one to the priestess paths, praying, and ritual construction in the kohenet way.^[15]

To become a kohenet, one undertakes an additional year and half of study, where the 13 priestess paths come into sharper focus.^[2] These are based on female archetypes found in Jewish culture and literature: Maiden, Mother, Matriarch, Midwife, Wise Woman, Mourning Woman, Prophetess, Shrinekeeper, Shamaness, Seeker, Lover, Fool, and Weaver. Each kohenet is ordained in a specific path.^[5] Each priestess and path is sometimes understood as a microcosm of God(ess). The identification of these paths is partly based on the book "The Women's Wheel of Life", which also identified 13 spiritual archetypes for women. 13 may also have been chosen for the number of full moons in a year.^[1] This course of study is called "Kedeishot".^[15] The full ordination takes three years,^[3] and has three additional retreats.^[7] As of 2021, there were around 100 graduates of the Kohenet Institute, including some based outside the US.^[3] Currently, Beit Kohenet does not have an ordination course, but plans to reinstitute one in the future.^[11] Ordination has been noted as less expensive and difficult to manage when compared to rabbinical school.^[8]

While many kohenets teach, study Torah, officiate at funerals, house blessings, healing ceremonies, pilgrimages, harvest rituals,^[10] weddings,^[16] serve as chaplains, or are dually ordained as rabbis, there are currently no kohenet specific synagogues.^[3] There also is no conversion process to specifically become a Jew under the Kohenet movement, as there is for Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Orthodox Judaism.^[11]

The maiden (nara'ah) is typified by Rebeccah, Miriam when watching over Moses' basket, the maidens who dance at the sacred shrine of Shiloh to celebrate the harvest, a servant of Wisdom, and the daughters of Tzelafchad. It represents presence, action, and fellowship.^[15] The movement also references how various Jews throughout time have viewed Shabbat as a virgin daughter. In Psalms, it is mentioned that alamot (young girls/women) beat drums in Temple processions and to announce military victory. The movement also connects several passages discussing maiden dancers and drummers in vineyards, juxtaposed with priests, as potentially referencing some ritual performed by maidens, particularly on Tu b'Av and Yom Kippur.^[1]

The mother (eim) is represented by Sarah,^[1] Leah, Hagar, Yocheved, Batya, as Hannah, and Naamah, Noah’s wife. It represents love, nurturing, and compassion.^[15] The name of God, "El Shaddai" can translate as God of Breasts, and implies nursing imagery. It is also noted that in the movement literature, most named Nazirites are women, particularly who are mothers or are trying to become mothers. Nazirite vows involve stipulations similar to the Levite priests. The lighting of Shabbat candles (often done by mothers) is also given significance here, especially as many historical tkhine (Yiddish personal prayers) used for it compare women to priests. Also significant are birth rituals connecting women to the synagogue by use of parochets and keys.^[1]

The matriarch or queen (gevirah) is represented by Sarah, the Queen of Sheba, the queen mother Maacah, Esther, Vashti, Judith and Yael. It represents strength, power, warriorhood, and guardianship.^[15] It is partly based on the idea that the queen mothers of ancient Judea had religious authority similar to other Near Eastern cultures, where queen mothers served as priestesses (particularly to mother goddesses, like Asherah). These queen mothers also had sway over the line of succession and were compared to lionesses. Also relevant are the rutual guardians who stood at the gates of the Temple sanctuary and today watch over the dead and newly weds, and the description of the Shekinah as a warrior queen in Kabbalistic literature.^[1]

The midwife (meyaledet) is represented by Shifrah and Puah, the midwives who helped Rachel and Tamar to deliver, and in "the Holy One who led Israel through the birth canal of the sea". It represents mentoring, creation, and growth.^[15] Hammer has also written a midrash describing Elisheva as a midwife who rescues an Egyptian baby from the angel of death. Midwives are noted as giving oracles in Hebrew literature by the movement, and for historically being expected to be pious. Further, Jewish midwives often had charms and magic rituals they used in their work.^[1]

The wise woman (chachamah) is represented by Abigail, the wise woman of Avel,^[1] the wise women who spin the wool for the Tabernacle, the wise woman of Tekoa, Serach, and "Wisdom herself" from the book of Proverbs. It represents understanding, wisdom, initiation.^[15] Lady Wisdom of Proverbs is understood by the movement to have intentional references to goddess imagery, and specifically subtle puns alluding to her being based on Asherah. The word asheri (happy) and root derivations are used in remarkably high frequency during her portions of the scripture, and Wisdom is called a "tree of life", living in a house with "seven pillars" (pillars sometimes being used to allude to trees ahd to asherah poles). She is also depicted standing at the crossroads, similar to the goddess of magic, Hecate. The Talmud deepens this association in the movement by stating that two women standing at the crossroads are surely doing magic. This imagery inspired a song made by Taya Shere. Lady Wisdom is also depicted as standing at the city gates, where shrines used to be. Some in the movement also believe the "house" of Wisdom in several passages refers to a shrine. The wise women in Hebrew literature also have some subtext implying they may have been oracles, such as the woman of Avel and the woman of Tekoa, who lived during David's reign. These women are also skilled political negotiators. Serach bat Asher is another important figure; in Jewish folklore she was granted either several hundred years of life or is immortal, and helps Moses prove to the Hebrews that he was sent by God. Asnat Barzani, sometimes caller the first female rabbi, is also held in high regard. She was the head of a yeshiva, and Kurdish Jewish legends say she could perform miracles.^[1]

The mourning woman (mekonenet) is represented by professional mourners in Jewish history,^[10] Rachel, the wife of Pinchas, and the grieving Mother Zion. It represents the pain and truth of change.^[15] The Book of Lamentations is important here, especially as it is believed portions were written by professional mourning women. Professional mourning women existed in Jewish communities until the Medieval period, but gradually became an object of scorn and fear by men, who associated women with uncleanness and bad luck in a funerary context. In the early modern period women were allowed in burial societies (who prepare bodies), but no longer to do public mourning. It is still controversial in some communities to allow womem to say Mourner's Kaddish, give eulogies, attend funerals, and publicly mourn. It is also thought that the ancient annual mourning custom done for Jephthah's daughter was done in caves, and that this may have originally been connected to some form of goddess cult. The Shekinah, Rachel's spirit, and "Mother Zion" are also depicted mourning the Babylonian exile in Jewish religious literature.^[1]

The prophetess (neviah) is represented by Miriam the adult prophet, Deborah,^[15] Huldah,^[1] and the Levitical drummers who danced in Temple processions. It represents inspiration, prophecy, ecstatic experience, truth,^[15] and the reveal of hidden information. Interestingly, the word for shrine (devir) shares a root with the name Devorah; her palm tree's location being mentioned with high specificity and the verb "went up" being used to refer to traveling there may indicate she indeed, controlled some form of shrine. The movement literature also connects this to Rebecca's maid, Deborah, who accompanies her to "seek God" and is connected to a sacred tree (Allon-Bakhut), suggesting Deborah may have been a title for some form of oracle associated with trees. The movement notes that Deborah and Miriam both sing chants in the aftermath of battle.^[1] In a historical analysis of how Judaism came to be, it is often thought these sections represent an early tradition of war prophetesses that encouraged raiding parties.^[17] Huldah is noted to act as an affirmation of Josiah's reforms and the attacks on polytheism and religious rites outside the control of the Jerusalemite Temple. This is seen as a potential co-option of prophetesses, potentially even propaganda to convince the public (who was slow to relinquish goddesses and priestesses) to support the reforms. Prophetesses are also extant in Roman era texts, both in the Sibylline Oracles (attributed to the possibly Jewish Sambathe, and portions of which likely were written by Jews) and in gentile mockery of Jewish women dream interpreters associated with trees. The Talmud lists Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther as prophetesses, though it is ambivalent toward them. The Talmud also records the idea that to this day it is possible to hear a "bat kol"- a prophetic whisper whose name means "daughter of a divine voice". The movement notes that it was historically normal among Kabbalists and early Hasidim for women to have prophetic dreams, visions, and be possessed by spirits.^[1]

The shrinekeeper (tzovah) is represented by the Shekinah,^[10] women who once served at the entrance to the mishkan, the women who baked bread and poured wine for the Queen of Heaven, Eve, Lilith, and Ruth. It represents divination, sexuality, and the affirmation of the self.^[15] The women who served at the Mishkan (called tzovot, a root that refers to priestly service) donated their copper mirrors to make the washbasin of the Tabernacle. The association between these women as serving the Mishkan (where God speaks to mortals) and the mirrors hints that the mirrors may have had some divinatory significance. The specific service at doorways is given significance, supposing the tzovot had a gatekeeping role. Post-Temple, the movement literature talks about how the home table was considered the new altar (along with prayer as the new sacrifice) in early Rabbinic thought, and draws a connection between the tzovot and the role of women at the table and home, the way they light candles for Shabbat as the priests once did in the Temple, praying over daily tasks as priests once did, etc. They also connect it to the role of women as singers, cantors, and synagogue leaders through time. In the movement, some who participate in rituals will serve gatekeeper duty: greeting guests, washing their hands with fragrant oil, and otherwise bringing them into the ritual space.^[1]

The witch or shamaness (ba'alat ov) is represented by the Witch of Endor and the mother of Abaye. It represents connection to the ancestors, the ability to journey to other worlds, and the power to heal and to shift reality.^[15] While mediumship (particularly involving the dead) is condemned in traditional Jewish thought, there are arguments against this condemnation,^[18] and the continued use of the term ba'alat ov by the Kohenets seems to be inspired by practices like the old Ashkenazi women's custom of making soul candles for the High Holy Days. The wick was unrolled around graves and them used to make candles while reciting prayers for the holy dead, hoping the donation of the candles will stir the holy dead to protect them in the coming year. The movement also mentions customs like how orphan brides invite their deceased parent's spirits to their wedding, incantations well known by women for daily life, and grave visitation by women in Sephardic custom. The double standard around who is allowed to divine, interpret signs, do "magic", and speak with spirits is brought into particularly sharp contrast when discussing this archetype. As the movement points out, priests, sages, and prophets do these forbidden things, as does anyone who speaks with an angel, but they are not condemned.^[1]

The seeker (doreshet) is represented by Rebeccah struggling with pregnancy. It represents pilgrimage, interpreters, and scholars.^[15] This path is inspired by pilgrimage and the question asking that leads many women to the Kohenet movement. It is also inspired by the women in the monastic Jewish Therapeutae community, who Philo mentions commonly close to remain virgins, and Ethiopian Jewish nuns, called batiwa/melekuse. Unfortunately such nuns no longer exist in the Ethiopian community.^[1]

The lover (ohevet) is represented by Ruth seducing Boaz, the golden cherubim (who the Talmud claims were sculpted in a sexual embrace),^[1] and the protagonist of Song of Songs. It represents passion, desire, sharing oneself, connection, and willingness.^[15] While partly evoking the kedeisha, the movement literature acknowledges that the kedeishot may not have actually been sacred prostitutes (as there is debate over whether tenple prostitution ever occurred) and that them being called such in scripture may be ancient slander. It is also inspired by the women of the ancient Tu B'Av festivals, where young women wore borrowed white dresses and danced and drummed. Men would go among the dancers to select romantic partners. Sex acts undertaken in a sacred context are often viewed with suspicion in Jewish religious literature, though occasionally appear in positive contexts. Mainly, God is presented as the metaphorical groom of Israel, or the husband of the Shekinah, or married couples are connected to God and the Shekinah in some way.^[1]

The fool (leitzanit) is represented by tricksters, such as Rebecca tricking Issac to get Jacobs blessing, Rachel stealing her father's terafim and sitting on them while claiming she is menstruating,^[1] or by Sarah laughing at Issac's birth announcement. It represents laughter, cleverness, fearlessness, difficult truths, and perfect honesty.^[15] Some Talmudic sages are described telling "fox-fables", juggling, and doing other entertaining acts. Yalta and Beruria are women in the Talmud who use comedy to mock disrespectful and misogynistic men. When a visiting sage refuses the request of Yalta's husband to include her in the wine blessing by saying women are completely inferior to men and only vessels for men's life force, Yalta goes to the store room and breaks 400 jars of wine to mock him. The "wine" that fills the blessing cup of metaphorically the womb of women; the sage's "blessing cup" (life force) is meaningless without the wine to fill it. The visiting sage mocks her again by saying the wine she spilled should count as her blessing (implying it might as well be spilled because it does her no good). Yalta says that his fertility is only useful to create vermin. Beruria also mocks sages known for their misogyny by using their words against them. Many marriage customs also historically involved women telling dirty jokes, playing pranks, or play fighting. Clowns, troubadours, and jesters were hired for weddings too, who were usually men but sometimes women. The film version of the Dybbuk portrays such an entertainer, a woman called a badchanit. The badchanit directs a scene where wedding guests playfully frighten the brode by pretending to be ghosts, ghouls, and demons. Later, she dresses up as Death, teasing the bride (Leah'le) before dancing with her. The Dance of Death as performed in the film was a tradition at European Jewish weddings before the Holocaust, and served as a sobering reminder during the festivities and as a ritual to ward away the real death. Various comedic dances and jokes continue to appear at some Jewish weddings. They also form a large part of Purim celebrations.^[1]

The weaver (oreget) is represented by Asherah,^[19] and the women who spun the goats’ hair for the Tabernacle. It represents creation and the bringing together of disparate elements.^[15] It is based on the virgin Temple weavers known to have been apart of the Jerusalemite Temple up until it's end, and who had possibly equal status to the priests who made bread and incense in the Temple complex. Rabbinic era texts directly compare these weavers to priests and make them associated with divinity. Even centuries later in the Medieval and modern periods, Jewish women often embroider and weave synagogue parochets, Torah mantles, and Torah binders, which the Kohenets view with renewed significance. Asherah here, and elsewhere, is understood not so much as a separate figure, but as another face of God (similar to the existing and fairly normalized God-Shekinah relationship in Rabbinic Judaism). She is associated with weavers as 2 Kings 23:6-7 makes specific mention of both the destruction of the Asherah housed in the Jerusalemite Temple and things that were woven for her. Further, some scholars argue Asherah was associated with weaving.^[1]

The Kohenet movement was initially managed by the Kohenet Institute, which operated from 2003-2023. A new organization, Beit Kohenet, was founded in the same year of the previous organization's closure. Both organizations are primarily online.^[11]

The Kohenet Institute, also known as the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, was an American Jewish organization that trained women to be Jewish spiritual leaders, primarily in the Kohenet movement of Judaism.^[20] The institute was founded in November 2005 by Rabbi Jill Hammer and Holly Taya Shere.^[21][22] It held its first training program August 14–20, 2006, at the Elat Chayyim Retreat Center in Accord, New York. In July 2009, the institute ordained for the first time 11 women as kohanot (priestesses).^[21] As of early 2021 the institute had graduated almost 100 women as priestesses. Ordination required the completion of a three-year training and program including 13 paths which explored different "female archetypes".^[23]

The organization was criticized by some Jewish leaders for its alleged embrace of pagan rituals.^[24] The movement itself is heterogeneous, with its founders taking a "soft monotheism" stance, as they themselves are monotheistic, but never have tried to keep polytheists away from their spaces.^[25] The primary founder, Jill Hammer, has expressed concern in response that the accusation of "paganism" is used to shut down theological discussion, and may be applied to people who simply use feminine language for God, and who connect to God through feminine imagery.^[26]

Amidst conflict between leadership, the Institute closed in 2023.^[27]

A new organization, Beit Kohenet, was founded in the same year of the previous organization's closure. Both organizations are primarily online.^[11] The Kohenet movement has since re-organized under Beit Kohenet, with Rabbi Hammer as an active participant and leader.^[28] They currently have 5 different kinds of monthly meetings,^[29] and a roster of classes (mainly offered online).^[30]

Kohenet movement members have been accused of heresy, paganism,^[3] antifeminism, creating a new religion,^[31] and perversion.^[8] In response, Hammer says that terms like magic and paganism are political, and that misogyny is a large factor in how detractors view the group.^[3] However, the movement does embrace those who identify as Jewish witches.^[12] Most kohenets do not identify as pagan,^[8] though the organization has a "soft monotheism" approach and does not outright reject pagans.^[31] Some kohenets do have provocative religious beliefs, including worship of Asherah and pseudo-historical claims of ancient hidden knowledge.^[4] Hammer has questioned the staunch resistance to anything accused of idolatry or paganism, the religious chauvinism and hypocrisy involved, and how readily people equate it to incest or murder. She cites accepted Jewish literature pointing out a greater tolerance has historically existed in the minds of some Jews.^[32]

Dibur Acher, on the Jewschool blog in 2010, criticised the Kohenets claiming they assert that "The divine feminine can’t be warlike, that’s a male descriptor, God can’t be loving and merciful, those are female traits, the Shekhina is tied to 'earth', i.e. the material world, and so we 'celebrate' her that way. This is the same old 'men are mind and women are body” 'that has been used for centuries to limit women."^[31] This does not reflect kohenet literature, which explicitly discusses the way Goddess can be war like and wrathful, and explicitly criticizes the idea that the divine feminine must only be gentle and loving, and the idea that "men are mind and women are body".^[1] She also dismisses that some women have a negative relationship to traditionally masculine forms of Jewish scholarship and leadership to the point of some kohenets calling religious literature "men's texts".^[31] This is despite these texts centering men and patriarchal attitudes, and that interaction with them has been gatekept to men and still is in some communities.^[8][33][34] It is also despite the fact that Jews overwhelmingly use masculine terms for God, and not neutral ones.^[7] Dibur Acher summed it up as "It’s simply not true that the master’s tools will never take down the master’s house."^[31]

Some Jews on social media sites have expressed extreme backlash towards Kohenets, often spreading lies and conspiracies about the group, such as the idea that one can "convert Kohenet", particularly by using a teacup and without supervision of a Jewish religious leader.^[35] This traces back to a handout associated with Jewish Voice for Peace,^[36] which is not a kohenet organization. It was founded in 1996, eleven years before the Kohenet movement initially took form.^[37] The handout discussed mikveh inspired cleansing rituals and at no point mentions conversion. People who criticize the movement this way tend to be Zionists who dislike the non-Zionist and anti-Zionist elements of the Kohenet movement and JVP.^[38] JVP is sometimes also claimed to be a "pagan cult" based on the idea that it is secretly run by kohenets.^[35]

Liberal Judaism is more open to the Kohenets existing as a legitimate group.^[8] Jewish Renewal has given it explicit support. Jewish women who felt alienated and explored other religions have found kohenet practices renewed their faith.^[6]

• Semitic neopaganism
• Witchcraft and divination in the Hebrew Bible
• Folk Judaism
• Jewish feminism
• Priestess
• Kabbalah