Judaism and Women part 2

First of all, we need to be clear that Torah is NOT an egalitarian document. There is a difference between an Israelite and a non-Israelite, between and Israelite and a Levi, between a Levi and a Kohen. I am a Levi. Only a Kohen may arise and do the Priestly blessing in the synagogue. If he does so, he is doing a mitzvah. If I were to do so, I would be committing two sins. Each has its rules, regulations and functions. It is not a question of BETTER. What is right for one is not right for the other in certain areas. But all are entitled to respect, dignity, and human decency.
The Written and Oral Torahs have enumerated what a woman SHOULD do, and what she MUST do. There is also a wide area of mitzvot she is not bound by, but which she may voluntarily perform. Some of these have become customary for women to perform, others have not. To what degree is this custom binding? Rabbis differ greatly on this question.
There are also things that women MAY NOT do. A woman cannot be a witness on a legal document. She can be a witness in a court for some cases, but not others.We do not know the reason for this restriction. Is it inherent in the Will of G-d, or is it because a married woman, in fear of her husband's demands, might bear false witness in order to protect her husband? We simply do not know. There is actually a debate in medieval sources whether this restriction is Biblical or Rabbinic. Does it perhaps reflect the fact that classically, women were not educated? If so, can this change?
In all of the above, the rules are fairly clear, other than the degree we do or don't apply a long standing  tradition as law. But there are some much grayer areas. The Talmud tells us that of the seven people called to read the Torah, women count, but "we do not call them because of the honor of the congregation". What does that mean? Is there something intrinsic that prevents this, or are we talking about a society in which most women were illiterate, most men literate. A literate woman reading the Torah would cause immense embarrassment for the illiterate man. About twenty years ago, a number of more liberal Orthodox rabbis permitted giving women aliyot on this basis. Today, we are all fairly literate. In any case, in most communities the person called up doesn't actually read the Torah, but merely blesses while a designated reader does the honors. (Except for Yemenites, who always read their own Torah portion). Why not women? Several synagogues, both in Israel and the U.S., adopted this practice on a trial basis. Most have since abandoned it, as it "didn't feel quite right".
In my next essay I will discuss the history of Egalitarian Conservative Judaism. There was the expectation that more participation of women would bring droves of Jews back to synagogue. The result was the opposite. In a short time, Conservative went from being the largest of the groups, to the smallest. How is this? Why is this? what can be learned from this? That will be my next essay.