Completed Research: Cohort 3

RTI Cohort 3 interns focused out research on rape culture in the Jewish community. Our project, “The Revenge of Dinah” is half research paper, half feminist haggadah. Though not all those who read this haggadah may be religious (or even Jewish), we hope that they will find meaning and connection in the intersection of rape culture and Jewish rituals. We also would like to start a conversation about rape culture in our Jewish community, and dispel the myth that Jews aren’t oppressed or that Jews are somehow exempt from experiences or perpetuating cultures of permissiveness around violence. In addition, we want to name that the Jewish rituals we created can be done at any time. Traditionally, Seders are conducted in the spring during Passover. However, as young Jewish feminists, it is really powerful for us to imagine these rituals being used at any time of the year. Whether done “by the book” and in order, or selected piece-meal, the rituals we created can and should be used whenever our readers need to take up some space, heal, or just think through the complexities of rape culture and how they are implicated in it. Hopefully, it can be used as a part of our readers’ lifelong learning and evolving commitment to social justice work in and out of the Jewish community.

So if you have never heard the words ‘rape culture’ or you are new to the concept, our goal for this haggadah is simply to get you thinking. We urge you to take a good look at your lives and the lives of those around you and think critically about the ways in which rape culture leaves its mark. Rape culture impacts all of our lives differently, so it can be hard knowing where to start. Check out our 10 Commandments of Being An Accomplice, Fighting Patriarchy, and Shutting Down Rape Culture, and in the back of the book, we have provided a list of incredible local and national organizations you can get involved with, as well as some great media resources. While we hope these resources can help guide you in the right direction, they are by no means a comprehensive list.

Read their report in-full.

The Revenge of Dinah: A Feminist Seder on Rape Culture in the Jewish Community