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In the annals of Hasidism, the contribution of women is often unnoticed and inaudible. Nevertheless, women are undeniably part of the story of Hasidism, on occasion playing key roles in the evolution of the movement.
Thus, for example, women publishers were significant in the production of hasidic texts. There were cases where the establishment or survival of a hasidic court was the work of a woman. Some women from the hasidic community were innovators, like Sara Schenirer (1883 – 1935) who came from a family of Belzer Hasidim and was a pioneer in Jewish women’s education.
There were also occasional instances of women serving as hasidic leaders. Such female rebbes were on the cultural fringes of Hasidism; they were exceptions to the rule of male leadership. While they provide thought-provoking chapters in the history of Hasidism, they do not occupy a central place, not in Jewish collective memory nor in hasidic circles. With the passage of time, historical threads have been woven into the fabric of legends. Contemporary scholars continue to unravel the material, earnestly trying to recover the fascinating journeys of these women. In this way we can recount the challenges these women faced in their spiritual quests, their achievements, and the disappointments they experienced.
It seems that such female leaders are vestiges of the past. To be sure, there are women who study and teach hasidic thought, culture, and history. Moreover, there are women who provide spiritual guidance and leadership – both in the hasidic world and beyond. Yet in the present climate, it is difficult to imagine a publicly acknowledged female leader in contemporary hasidic society.
It is therefore fascinating to see the leadership role played today by Surah Rokach (b. 1946) – a woman known to some as “The Admorit of Belz” – the female hasidic master of Belz. Surah does not refer to herself as the Admorit. Emblazoned on the letterhead of her stationary it says “Belzer Rebetzen.”
Admorit or Rebetzen – what is the subtext and significance of these titles? Rebetzen – often spelled rebbetzin or rendered into Hebrew as rabbanit – is the traditional term for the wife of a rabbi. In the past, the term did not necessarily indicate anything about the achievements – intellectual or spiritual – of the female bearer of the title. Calling a women rabbanit said something about her spouse. Changes may be afoot: nowadays, learned women might be called rabbanit, regardless of the chosen profession of their spouse. Yet this is a new development.
While rabbanit or rebbetzin is a traditional title, the term admorit is new. The title in its masculine form, admor, is an acronym for adoneinu, moreinu verabbeinu – our master, our teacher, and our rabbi. The acronym was in use before the advent of Hasidism. Over time it has come to be an honorific accorded to hasidic masters, and on occasion it has been translated as Grand Rabbi, in order to distinguish a rebbe from a rabbi. The Hebrew acronym admor is treated like a word and can be pluralized, such that admorim refers to a number of hasidic masters. Using the term in the feminine Hebrew form, admorit, is a unique innovation.
Who is the Admorit of Belz? Surah Rokach (b. 1946) is a scioness of Vizhnitz Hasidism. She is married to Rabbi Yisakhar Dov Rokach (b. 1948) – the leader of the Belz Hasidim since his appointment in 1966. Over time, Surah took on various leadership roles, first within the Belz hasidic community and then beyond. Her communal work focuses on providing assistance to widows and orphans, and she is active in raising funds for this purpose. She is known for not only organizing financial assistance for the needy, but also for adding a personal touch to her work by regularly ringing people to inquire about their wellbeing.
From the perspective of hasidic leadership conventions, Surah conducts herself as a hasidic master. Being a hasidic master is not only dependent on how one perceives oneself; communal recognition is paramount. Indeed, a quip is told of a man who wakes his wife in the middle of the night and tells her that he just had a dream that he was a famous hasidic master with thousands of followers. Laconically his wife responds: When thousands of followers have a dream that you are their hasidic master, then you can wake me in the middle of the night!
On this particular gauge – public perception – the Belzer Rebbetzin can be considered a hasidic master because she is recognised by many followers. Surah Rokach is sought after for her blessings, both by women and by men. Tales of her miracle-working capabilities are recounted by the hasidic faithful. It is not just members of the contemporary Belz hasidic community who see her as a spiritual titan; her blessings are requested by other Hasidim as well, particularly Vizhnitz Hasidim.
Rabbanit Surah Rokach has set hours when she receives people who come to her for advice and blessings. These visitors may give Surah a kvitl – a sure sign of recognition of her status as a hasidic master. Surah receives the kvitlakh and reads them – just like male rebbes.
It would, however, be inaccurate to suggest that the Admorit plays the same role as the Admor. While her sphere of leadership goes beyond the social conventions of contemporary Hasidism, she does not fill most of the traditional male leadership roles.
Surah has been a regular traveler to communities outside Israel. She works hard to raise funds for the needy, and when she has visited primary-school-age children, she has spoken briefly and bestowed blessings on those in attendance. Any time she visits Belz institutions around the world, she is received like royalty.
Surah presents an iconic image. She covers her entire head with a distinctive type of head covering that is unadorned with pearls or precious stones. The hat fits tightly on her forehead and temples and blooms above her head, towering above her like a crown.
Certainly, Surah Rokach is a regal figure in hasidic society. Given her reputation and stature in the community, the Admorit of Belz is the most prominent woman in contemporary Hasidism.
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Rabbi Dr. Levi Cooper is the Maggid of Melbourne, a faculty member of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, and rabbi in Tzur Hadassa. He is a teaching fellow at Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Law. This article first appeared in The Jerusalem Post. He can be contacted at levi@pardes.org.il.
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