Despite an increase in qualitative studies on European Orthodox Judaism, much research has focused on what sets Orthodox Jews apart from the majority societies in which they live. Such research risks missing out on potential processes occurring within Orthodox Judaism. This may be why research on a major development in Orthodoxy - the shifting of gendered boundaries - is so sparse. This sparsity is placed in sharp contrast to the extent to which Orthodox circles are concerned about this development. The current research project thus explores a marginal group of Orthodox communities adopting egalitarian practices - often seen as an "Other" by the greater Orthodox sphere - to understand the dynamics and limits of gendered innovation in contemporary Orthodox Judaism. The project combines anthropological and Jewish approaches to the interpretation of knowledge and experience. By doing so, it seeks to avoid the dual pitfall of studying Jews without studying Judaism, and studying Judaism without studying Jews. The exploration serves as an anchor point for questioning broader issues related to gender, practice and marginalisation in the European religious landscape. The project conducts comparative ethnographic fieldwork in relevant communities. These communities work to shift normative gendered boundaries within Orthodoxy by innovatively adapting traditional rituals, creating what at times may seem like contradictory practices which operate "unevenly" across different axes (such as bestowing rabbinical qualifications upon women while refusing to count them for a prayer quorum). These communities, therefore, simultaneously challenge and reinforce existing gender inequalities in the Jewish sphere. This paper will discuss key issues raised in the fieldwork, including women's religious leadership, the embodiment of gendered rituals, and the employment of ubiquitously gendered practices for the formation of emergent Orthodox Jewish identities in contemporary Europe.