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Question:

It is permissible to hold a "women's minyan" which includes aliyot to the Torah?

Answer:

It is prohibited to hold a "women's minyan" because women are altogether exempt from the requirement of public prayer, since the Torah understands that it is impossible for both a husband and wife to be obligated to pray at specific times. It is possible for women to pray together without Kaddish, Kedushah or Barekhu. There are some authorities - including my teacher and mentor, Rav Soloveitchik ztz"l - who maintain that since a Sefer Torah cannot become "tamei" (ritually impure), a woman may also read from a Sefer Torah, but without the order of aliyot and berakhot since these were instituted for men only. At the same time I believe that if the institution of such a prayer service will cause friction within the community, it should not be held and the custom of generations should be maintained. Wherever no such friction will be caused, and there exists a group of women who wish to pray together, then so long as there is no participation at all of men, the service may be held, subject to the limitations mentioned above.

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