Women’s Leadership

Grit and Grace

I began rabbinical school in 1994, nine years after the Conservative Movement ordained Amy Eilberg in 1985. I was young ...

Why I Enrolled in Yeshivat Maharat, the Orthodox Seminary for Women Clergy

A couple of nights ago, my family and I went to see “Finding Dory.“ In this charming sequel to “Finding Nemo,” the ...

Did Esther and Ruth Break the Glass Ceiling? A Debate

Meesh: Back then, in biblical times, the ceiling was not glass, and I don’t think Esther or Ruth made any attempt ...

#HumansofJOFA

In honor of our 18th anniversary tribute dinner, we launched the photography campaign #HumansofJOFA. Modeled on the famous (and oft-replicated) ...

For the Sin We Have Sinned…

For the sin we have sinned before you in excluding women from leadership positionsFor the sin we have sinned before ...

Towards a More Inclusive Judaism: Bridging the Distance

I can trace my choice not to go to rabbinical school to a particular moment in time. Rabbi Matthew Cutler ...

JOFA Campus Leaders Shabbaton: A Weekend of Solidarity

The experience of being a self-identifying Orthodox Feminist Jewish woman on a college campus can be simultaneously empowering and alienating. ...

Where Have All the Women Gone?

I subscribe to a variety of listservs, Facebook groups, and news outlets across a wide range of the religious spectrum, ...

The Spectrum of Leaders and Followers: A Tale of My Third Grade Play

In third grade, most learning stopped while we prepared for our class play. It was quite the production. We each ...

The Time Is Now: Express Your Rabbinic Will

There are several things that happen when a stone is thrown into a lake. First, the stone pierces the top ...