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Abstract: This paper is the first to identify and conceptualize theological notions in contemporary rabbinic discourse which serve to undermine the advancement of women's rights and curtail the integration of feminist notions and norms into religious Zionist society in Israel. Our analysis identifies five discursive moves that serve as broad theological obstacles, providing religious grounding for the current illiberal hostility to feminism in Israel. The primary axes of backlash in rabbinic discourse are: "sacrifice," "the slippery slope," "gender essentialism," "normalcy" or "family values," and "nationalism". We argue that the emergence of these specific critiques at this time is tied to their role as oppositional narratives that counter the rising prominence of religious Zionist feminism. We examine this case in light of local and global trends such as "anti-gender ideologies," thereby contributing to the burgeoning literature on the rise of illiberal cultural and political forces in Western countries and emphasizing the roles played by religious ideologies, leaders and discourses in shaping and legitimizing an anti-feminist backlash.

Transformational learning is a process resulting in deep and significant change in habitual patterns of identity, thought, emotion, and action, enabling new approaches to role enactment. This article explores how moving from a framework of dilemmas, which require solutions and one-sided choices, to a framework of paradoxes that embraces tensions and contradictions can contribute to meaningful transformational learning in the context of women's leadership development. Drawing on recent theories of paradoxes and on critical feminist theory, we propose a critical feminist pedagogy of paradoxes for developing women's leadership of social change enterprises. This perspective is put forth based on our analysis of an experiential course in a graduate gender studies program wherein participants take on leadership roles and interrogate them, by integrating theoretical discussions, reflection, and practical engagement in social activism. We use case studies from our students' experiences in the field and in the classroom to demonstrate and explore the use of paradoxical thinking for teaching complex modes of leadership. We then show how fundamental, unresolvable paradoxes can be generative of novel ways of enacting social change leadership. We suggest several advantages and implications that this critical feminist pedagogy of paradoxes can have on the development of women's leadership.