Beyond Patriarchy: Jewish Fathers and Families

by Lawrence H. Fuchs

Is patriarchy necessary to ensure responsible fathering? Lawrence H. Fuchs, author of Family Matters, argues that the link between male dominance and fatherhood is no longer iron-clad. Analyzing the universality of patriarchy and its incentives for cultural fatherhood, Fuchs concedes that the importance of biological differences between the sexes was a possible, even plausible, basis for the evolution of patriarchy. But in this timely work he imagines a new paradigm of fatherhood for a post-patriarchal age, one inspired by the history of Jewish patriarchy. Two millennia ago the rabbis established the strategies to curb the extreme abuses of patriarchy found in all civilizations. They did so by according wives significant sexual and economic rights. In the last two centuries as Jews became more integrated into the societies in which they lived, their unique variation of patriarchy was disrupted. Fuchs argues that the Jewish story sets the precedent for fundamental change in the nature of patriarchy today, thus breaking what may have been the evolutionary connection between male dominance and incentives for fatherhood. It is Fuchs's startling conclusion that the Jewish precedent points to the next step in evolution: fathers without patriarchy.

Hardcover

First published July 1, 2000

Reviews

[Dennis Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Beyond Patriarchy: Jewish Fathers and Families, author Lawrence H. Fuchs of Brandies University draws from a rich array of religious, cultural developmental, biological, and historic detail and trend to examine consistency and change in the lives of Jewish men today.

Fuchs cites a growing parity of men and women at work, in volunteerism, at home, a decline in old opportunities for "male bonding" in many quarters and, compared to other biological species, greater human male involvement in parenting. Thus, Jewish men --- and others --- are often accepting new family responsibilities and roles, even with a continuing "flight from fatherhood"
among good numbers.

Where men have draw together over sport, hunting or womanizing, Jewish men traditionally bonded through Judaism, its books, synagogue worship and ritual. When that Jewish tradition turned to family, it emphasized the protection of women and provision for the home. Yes, Jewish women were "chattel," but those same religious laws provided for their physical well being and shielded them from abuse and neglect. Given the history of spiritual, intellectual and prayerful togetherness many Jewish men traditionally enjoyed, it is no wonder that many today embrace the call for an expanding male presence in family.

Beyond Patriarchy goes well beyond the promise of its title. The book's wide range --- into biology, for instance --- leaves the reader wondering, "When will this all come together?" It all does, eventually, after thoughtful wandering. Concise but not terse, easy to read and comprehend, Beyond Patriarchy offers a picture of the Jewish male, past and present.