[Avodah] A woman reciting Birchas Gomel at the Bimah on shabbos

[Isaac Balbin]

> From: Harry Maryles <hmaryles at yahoo.com>
> 
> There is a fascinating article in JTA (linked below) where the Rav of a MO shul allowed a woman to say Birchas Gomel at the Bimah on shabbos morning.?
> My sense is that there is nothing wrong with that Halachicly. But My sense is also that this would never be allowed in a mainstrean Orthodox Shul that isn't MO. The Rav, Idan Scher, is not in any way OO and seems to be quite mainstream Orthodox by virtue of his educational background.
> I wonder how this event would be treated by the more right wing e 'Agudah'?type?shuls. Would they allow it? Is there a Hashkafa problem ...or maybe even a Halachic problem? and if so, what would those problems be??
> https://www.jta.org/2025/09/12/ideas/my-congregant-was-stabbed-for-being-jewish-what-happened-the-next-shabbat-was-incredible

The Poskim certainly discuss a woman saying HaGomel from the Women’s gallery. Some of those women’s galleries would be curtained, others would be behind the men, raised etc

This really is about expectations and standards. Presumably an Aguda style lady would be satisfied if her husband said it on her behalf as he might do after she gives birth and the issue would not be germane.

In a Shule where for example a Bat Mitzvah (girl) comes after the davening and speaks a Dvar Torah from the Bima etc then one might expect that a lady saying HaGomel after davening in that manner after davening would not be an issue. If I were the Rabbi in such a Shule though I would publish guidelines about appropriate dress for both males and females who are involved in any liturgy both during or after the service and would include Kisui Rosh etc and in a place where men would wear a suit jacket when going to an important meeting/seeing a Government Minister etc I would include that.

If it was a Shule where there was incredible pressure to do this after layning, I’d discuss with a Posek (personally that would be Rav Schachter) as this would be a case by case situation I expect.