As a woman can I bench gomel with 3 men? I travel back and forward to Israel. I dislike flying. I think it is a bracha to exit out a plane without an incident. It is a miracle that one can fly over so much water, and mountains in a man-made machine. I have no trouble benching gomel in Israel. They do it immediately. Here in some shuls, you would think I was asking for an alyah. Last Tuesday was the first time in years I bench gomel quietly, when the Torah was out (Not On Shabbat) but during the weekday. Once the gabbai of a Monday minyan called a few men over to the curtains and said go ahead and bench gomel. So my question is, can I do that with 3 men, in the shul during the downstairs gathering for kiddush.
Answer:
For Ashkenazim, the berachah can be made in front of less than ten men, and therefore you can make the berachah in the manner you describe.
However, if you are not making the berachah in front of ten men, it could be more appropriate for you to make the berachah in front of women, rather than in front of men.
As Rav Moshe Feinstein rules (Orach Chaim 5:14), the berachah can be made even in front of one man or one woman, and for a married woman, the best option is to make the berachah in front of one’s husband.
For Sefardi ladies, who follow the rulings of the Shulchan Aruch, Ha-Gomel should only be made in front of ten men.
