Women and Judaism

Shmuel Winiarz contributes to the Lehrhaus Symposium on the recent OU statement regarding female clergy.

Jeffrey Fox contributes to the Lehrhaus Symposium on the recent OU statement regarding female clergy.

The zogerke or firzogerin, once the vernacular translator in the women’s section of the synagogue, has faded into distant memory. Dalia Wolfson reimagines her for our times.

As 2021 comes to a close, the Lehrhaus team is delighted to highlight many of the thought-provoking essays we’ve published this year, with a diverse array of incredible thinkers and writers.

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

Giti Bendheim reflects on her journey within the world of Orthodox women's learning and philanthropy.

Sharona Margolin Halickman responds to Chaim Saiman on women's leadership.

Leah Sarna argues that this is the Passover to tell the stories of enslaved Jewish women: of the victims of October 7, who were and likely still are subjected to sexual violence, and of the heroic women in the era of the Exodus, who fought to ensure the perpetuation of the Jewish people.

Natalie Zemon Davis, a Jewish historian known for shining a light on the lives of marginalized people in the early modern period, passed away in October. Ronnie Perelis commemorates Dr. Zemon Davis by reflecting on the experience of teaching her revolutionary work to his students at Stern College for Women.

Rabbi Judah Goldberg offers his suggestions to raise the bar of advanced Torah study for women.