Women and Judaism

Julie Goldstein reflects on her recent Yom Kippur experience and why it matters for Orthodox women everywhere.

The biblical figure of Esther is often interpreted by traditional and modern commentators as a heroine of active leadership. Naama Sadan offers a novel perspective, according to which Esther confronts national crisis in female-coded ways, triumphing and saving her people through internally-focused activism.

In her winning Ateret Zvi essay, Leah Sarna explores two simultaneously true stories about pregnancy: it is at once a beautiful, incredible miracle, and also a demanding journey, both physically and mentally, that often feels more like a catastrophe. Studying the Torah's accounts of pregnancy in Tazria and Rivkah's life, Sarna offers a moving analysis of what it means to hear, tell, and live these stories.

  Yael Unterman   I dedicate this essay to my friend Dr. Tsippi Kauffman z”l, who passed away in the course of its writing. A wonderful educator,...

Tova Warburg Sinensky offers a model for Modern Orthodox communities to help each of its members increase their Avodat Hashem.

Ezra Schwartz The recently published account of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s inaugural shiur at Stern College has rightfully generated much conversation about women and Gemara study. In light of this appropriate benchmark of forty years,...

In her latest for the Lehrhaus, Mali Moskowitz reflects on dating after divorce, Jewish marriage, and the ongoing journey for self-discovery.

Shaul Robinson contributes to the Lehrhaus Symposium on the recent OU statement regarding female clergy.

Tzvi Sinensky contends that the rabbinic and feminist readings of Vashti are not diametrically opposed.

Leah Sarna addresses the perceived disconnect between the ideal Torah U-Madda lifestyle and the gendered reality of advanced Torah study for women.