Is Public Breastfeeding Immodest? An Orthodox Jewish Perspective

Nursing in public is controversial in today's Jewish world. A guest
post I wrote on a liberal Orthodox Jewish blog, advocating acceptance
for woman
nursing in the women's section of the synagogue, drew hundreds of
mostly negative comments. But there is no evidence that Jewish texts
and tradition prohibit breastfeeding in public. And rabbis never viewed
breastfeeding as too "unholy" for the synagogue.

A Jewish discussion of nursing in public usually centers on two possibly conflicting values. Judaism recognizes the importance of breastfeeding in nurturing children, with the mother as the primary
spiritual influence in the early years. Yet Jewish law requires women to
dress modestly, and that includes keeping breasts covered.

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