Anon- in this case the seperation IS voluntary. No one is forcing women, or men for that matter, to pray in a space that is uncomfortable to them. If you see the mechitza as subjugatory, then please, don't daven in that space. You say that you can't daven there comfortably, but I can't daven comfortably without one.
If I had a choice between a women-only, and a seperate-seating shul, I would always pick the former, but failing that, I find the latter to be an acceptable alternative. Yes, there are issues of chauvenism, sexism, and more in the Orthodox community, and some of those are heightened by the mechitza, but I don't think that that must be the case.
You say that what makes a Tefillah service holy is the use of "the lashon kodesh", by which I assume you mean Hebrew. Great for you, but many in the Reform and Reconstructionist movements would disagree. To them, a tefillah service can be holy in English, German, French, etc, etc. I think that you need to recognize that this is a case of "different strokes for different folks" and accept that what may read as subjugation to you reads as spirituality to someone else.
Annie
seperate but equal as a choice
Anon- in this case the seperation IS voluntary. No one is forcing women, or men for that matter, to pray in a space that is uncomfortable to them. If you see the mechitza as subjugatory, then please, don't daven in that space. You say that you can't daven there comfortably, but I can't daven comfortably without one.
If I had a choice between a women-only, and a seperate-seating shul, I would always pick the former, but failing that, I find the latter to be an acceptable alternative. Yes, there are issues of chauvenism, sexism, and more in the Orthodox community, and some of those are heightened by the mechitza, but I don't think that that must be the case.
You say that what makes a Tefillah service holy is the use of "the lashon kodesh", by which I assume you mean Hebrew. Great for you, but many in the Reform and Reconstructionist movements would disagree. To them, a tefillah service can be holy in English, German, French, etc, etc. I think that you need to recognize that this is a case of "different strokes for different folks" and accept that what may read as subjugation to you reads as spirituality to someone else.