The Mechitza As Synagogue Partition

A mechitza is a physical partition, whether a solid wall, a curtain, a screen or a low barrier, that separates men's and women's seating within a synagogue sanctuary, an arrangement maintained as normative in Orthodox Judaism. Its form varies considerably by community and building: some synagogues place women in a raised gallery overlooking the main floor where men sit, others divide a single-level sanctuary side by side with a solid or semi-transparent screen running down its center, and portable or temporary mechitzot are sometimes used at outdoor or informal Orthodox gatherings such as weddings held outside a permanent synagogue building.

Where a mechitza exists, its height and opacity are themselves subjects of detailed religious discussion among Orthodox authorities, since a partition judged too low or too transparent may not be considered to fulfill the separation it is meant to provide, while community norms differ on how substantial a barrier is required. The mechitza's presence or absence is one of the most visible architectural markers distinguishing an Orthodox sanctuary from a Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionist one, since those movements generally seat congregants together regardless of gender.