Privacy on Display

Written by Meredith Katz

The Work of Hagit Molgan
Most women would balk at the idea of showing their used menstrual products to anyone else – much less putting them in the public eye. But in her new show, “Not Prepared,” that is exactly what Israeli artist Hagit Molgan does.

Molgan’s work explores how women are perceived in Judaism, especially in relation to the practice of niddah, which she believes to be degrading. Although it is a common practice among the Orthodox community, many Jews are unfamiliar with the laws relating to taharat ha-mishpachah, also known as the practice of niddah. The law of niddah – the only law of ritual purity that is observed today – stipulates that a man may not touch or sleep in the same bed as his wife during her menstruation. The separation of the couple begins as soon as a woman’s period begins, and ends a minimum of twelve days later, after her seventh “clean day.” At the end of the seventh clean day, the woman goes to a mikvah, or ritual bath, meant to cleanse her of impurity. The practice of niddah is rooted in the Torah, which states that intercourse with a niddah, or menstruating woman, is prohibited, as conception during this time is virtually impossible.

Many individuals, including practicing women, and many rabbis attest to the benefits of practicing niddah. The observance of the law is viewed as a way to increase the psychological bond between a couple, something that is often lost with or overcome by a strong physical bond. Intimacy in the two weeks a couple is allowed to be sexually active is seen as being heightened because of an increased spousal desire and appreciation. Niddah is also viewed as a period of rest for the male and female, as well as means to practice of self-discipline.

But other women view the ritual as chauvinistic and violating. Molgan, who herself observes Niddah, decided to use her art to express her negative sentiments toward the tradition. In January and February, 2004, Molgan showed “Not Preparerd” at The Gallery Kibbutz Be-eri in the Northern Negev Desert. The exhibit was intended to demonstrate Molgan’s uncomfortable response to niddah and being deemed “impure.” Much of Molgan’s work focused on the bedika cloth – the flag-shaped white cotton rag an observant woman uses to monitor her bleeding on a daily basis after the end of her monthly period. If the cloth is stained upon surveillance, it is sent to a Rabbi who ascertains whether or not the stain constitutes an impurity. If the Rabbi deems a woman impure, she begins the period of separation from her husband. Haaretz, a major Israeli newspaper, quoted Molgan saying that sending the cloth to her Rabbi made her feel “hurt and flawed…an accomplice to an act of distortion, of inequality, which enables an anonymous Rabbi to determine whether I am pure or impure.”

“Not Prepared” displayed bedika cloths with red stains symbolizing blood in the middle. Some of Molgan’s pieces consisted of single bedika cloths, while others, such as “My Patchwork Quilt,” exhibited the rags sewn together so that their red stains created a pattern. One piece, titled “Sweet Inspection,” was a cloth made of sugar cubes, intended to represent the contradiction between the bitter feeling of being inspected and the pleasant taste of saccharine. Perhaps the most interesting piece was a wall of bedika cloths entitled “Kosher, Kosher.” This work depicts cloths that have been stamped “Hechsher” (kosher), and leaves some blank for spectators to stamp.

Many who visited the exhibition were critical of its point of view. In the newsletter of her kibbutz, women who value the tradition of niddah condemned Molgan’s message. Molgan told the WebWire by email that, “My life has changed after the show ‘Not Prepared.’ In general, I think many Orthodox people think I was desecrating God.” But despite the criticism, Molgan was pleased with the outcome of the show – and the ensuing dialogue: a women’s discussion group was established in her kibbutz to talk about purity laws and how they relate to her art.
She says that she felt honored to shine light on the prejudice between the sexes and to speak out about the inferior status of women in Judaism. “Before the examination, the balanit asks the women being checked, ‘Are you prepared?’ And I am coming and saying that I’m no longer prepared, that I’m not happy with the way in which the world is run,” Molgan said.
Molgan told the WebWire that her next project involves video art. “It will be talking about the relationship between mothers and girls. And I'm going to create artwork dealing at the religious stereotype of the girl and its connection to sexual harassment,” she wrote.

Despite the occasional condemnation of her work, Molgan says she will continue to create provocative and socially conscious art in an attempt to provoke discussion about the role of women in Judaism. So far, she seems to be succeeding.

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.