Betty Friedan and the Feminine Mystique: Jewish Women’s Role in Second Wave Feminism and the Rise of Jewish Feminism

Abstract

This research examines Betty Friedan’s evolving relationship with her Jewish identity and its role in her activism in the second-wave feminist movement. Through an intersectional lens, it critiques collective identity theory’s limitations in capturing the complexities of Jewish women’s activism. While second-wave feminism largely framed gender as the primary axis of oppression, Jewish feminists like Friedan navigated tensions between their feminist ideals and religious heritage. Analyzing The Feminine Mystique and Friedan’s later speeches, this study traces her shift from downplaying her Jewish identity to openly embracing it. This transformation reflects broader struggles among Jewish feminists, who ultimately mobilized to challenge gender inequalities within Judaism, leading to the rise of the Jewish feminist movement. By highlighting intersectionality’s role in identity negotiation within social movements, this research argues that while collective identity theory helps explain solidarity within feminism, it fails to fully capture the internal conflicts faced by those with complex intersecting identities, particularly Jewish women. This study advocates for a more nuanced understanding of feminist history that acknowledges religious identity as integral to shaping activism.