Shira Eliaser

Shira Eliaser studies Torah and Talmud through the lenses of gender, contemporary life, and sustainable halakhic living alongside traditional commentary and midrash. She is passionate about bringing Torah characters to life, with historical sources, literary references, and cultural context; her specialties include Esther, Joseph, Yael and Judith, Jonathan, David, Ruth, Jeremiah, and Shir Ha-Shirim, as well as Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah. Her work is heavily influenced by the teachings of Dr. Esther Shkop, Dr. Tikva Frymer-Kensky, Rabbi Yehoshua Bachrach, and Dr. Jeremy Brown of Talmudology.com. She is proud to be one of the many women worldwide learning Daf Yomi with Hadran podcasts. In addition to writing reflections on the Daf Yomi, she is currently writing a full commentary on Megillat Esther. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from Stanford University, and teaches physics and engineering at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. She lives near Chicago with her husband and two children, and posts her works in progress on http://www.eliaser.net .