Women's Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership

For generations, mikvah has been one of the most central institutions of Jewish life. But for many women, it has also remained deeply private, rarely discussed openly and often understood primarily in terms of obligation. What might change if we thought about mikvah not only as a halachic practice, but as a source of spirituality, self-awareness, connection, and renewal?

In this episode of Women's Gallery, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Dr. Naomi Marmon Grumet, founder and director of the Eden Center in Jerusalem, about reimagining the place of mikvah in the lives of Jewish women. Beginning with the...

What does it mean to build a Jewish community where secular and religious, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, right and left can all find a place?

In this deeply moving conversation, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, founder of Kehilat Zion in Jerusalem and a leading voice for Jewish spiritual and communal renewal. Drawing on the faith of her Moroccan and Ashkenazi grandparents, Tamar describes a vision of Judaism that reaches beyond denominational labels and asks Jews to rediscover one another as a people.

Together, Jo and Tamar explore the challenge of creating new Jewish ritual after...

For years, women in Israel could study halakha at the highest levels, teach Torah, and answer complex religious questions, yet they were barred from taking the state rabbinical examinations open to men. Rabbi Sarah Segal-Katz helped lead the landmark legal battle that finally changed that.

In this episode of Women's Gallery, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Sarah about her journey into Torah scholarship, the long struggle to open Israel's rabbinical exams to women, and why access to religious knowledge and authority matters far beyond titles or recognition. They also explore the evolving place of women in Orthodox leadership, t...

Conversion to Judaism is often misunderstood, both by those considering it and by the communities that receive them. In this episode, Netta Asner-Minster shares what she has learned from guiding hundreds of prospective converts, explains the realities of the Orthodox conversion process, and challenges common assumptions about "pushing converts away." Together with Joanne Greenaway, she explores how greater openness, education, and compassion can strengthen the Jewish future.

Dr. Guila Benchimol never expected to leave Jewish education for a career in criminology. Yet her journey led her to become one of the Jewish world's leading voices on abuse prevention, safeguarding, restorative justice, and institutional accountability. In this thoughtful and often challenging conversation, she reflects on what first drew her to this work, why abuse is never simply the result of one individual, and how communities can create cultures that are both safer and more compassionate. Joanne and Guila explore the lasting impact of the MeToo movement, the responsibilities of faith communities, the promise of restorative justice, and...

Gvira Milworm has spent years helping transform economic opportunities for Haredi women in Israel, all while remaining firmly rooted in Torah values. As CEO of Temech, she has helped thousands of women build careers, launch businesses, and achieve financial stability without asking them to compromise their religious commitments.

In this episode of Women's Gallery, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Gvira about her own journey from the world of technology to nonprofit leadership, the remarkable economic transformation taking place within the Haredi community, and how meaningful work, entrepreneurship, family, and faith can reinforce rather than compete with one another. The...

What does the future of women's Torah scholarship look like?

Dr. Raizi Chechik, the inaugural director of the Pava Center for Women's Torah Scholarship at Yeshiva University, joins Joanne Greenaway to discuss an inspiring new vision for cultivating women as Torah scholars, educators, and teachers of Torah. Drawing on decades of experience as an educator, mentor, and head of school, she reflects on the mentors who shaped her, the philosophy that has guided her work, and why authentic Torah learning is resonating so deeply with today's young women.

Together, Joanne and Dr. Chechik explore how...

For most Orthodox women, leadership does not begin with a microphone in a comedy club. But for award-winning comedian Rachel Creeger, humor has become a powerful way to represent Jewish life, challenge stereotypes, and create connection across communities. In this episode of Women's Gallery, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Rachel about forging a path where no roadmap existed, navigating life as an Orthodox woman in the performing arts, confronting antisemitism after October 7, and discovering that comedy can be a form of leadership. Rachel also reflects on being targeted and effectively canceled by venues because she is openly Jewish, and on...

What does it take to support the women who quietly sustain Jewish life?

In this inspiring conversation, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Aliza Bulow, founder of Core, a global organization that equips and connects women who serve as spiritual guides, community builders, educators, rebbetzins, mentors, and caregivers. From a handful of participants to a worldwide network spanning more than 100 cities across six continents, Core has become a movement dedicated to strengthening the women who strengthen everyone else.

Aliza shares her remarkable personal journey: from converting to Judaism as a teenager in Portland, Oregon, to studying in...

On this episode of Women's Gallery, Dr. Ayelet Hoffmann-Libson joins Joanne Greenaway for a wide-ranging conversation about women, Talmud, academia, and the future of Jewish learning.

A senior lecturer in Talmud at Bar-Ilan University and a leading public-facing Torah scholar, Dr. Hoffmann-Libson reflects on her journey from studying at Pelech and Midreshet Lindenbaum to teaching at Harvard, Penn, and Yale. Together, she and Joanne explore how women entering the world of advanced Torah study are reshaping both the Beit Midrash and academia, why Talmud should not remain the domain of an elite few, and how learning Torah can bec...

What does it mean to hold pain that has no easy resolution?

In this deeply moving conversation, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Dr. Aimee Baron about the quiet heartbreak of infertility, pregnancy loss, and unrealized expectations. Moving from working as a medical doctor to establishing an organisation in order to fill an important need in the global Jewish community, Dr. Baron brings both professional insight and profound personal experience to her work. Drawing on her own story and her work supporting others, Dr. Baron explores how individuals and communities can respond with greater sensitivity, awareness, and compassion.

This week Joanne meets Jacqueline Rose, an award-winning integrative menopause educator, coach and hormonal health specialist based in Israel. A mother of five with a background in environmental science and yoga, Jacqueline has built a second career helping women understand the full hormonal arc of their lives, with a particular focus on perimenopause, menopause and the too-rarely-discussed post-menopause. Her approach draws on functional medicine, yoga, and a deeply Jewish lens on what it means to thrive at every life stage.

They cover an enormous amount of ground: why HRT alone is never the whole answer, the five...

This week Joanne meets Danielle Abraham: Oxford-educated, Woodford-raised, and now one of the most driven women rebuilding Israel from the ground up. As founder and CEO of Regrow Israel, Danielle mobilised emergency support for farming communities devastated in the Western Negev and northern Israel in the wake of October 7th, raising over $30 million and supporting more than 110 farms. She is also co-founder of Volcani International Partnerships, an Israeli NGO tackling global food and nutrition insecurity through Israel's world-leading agricultural expertise.

In this conversation, Danielle unpacks the systematic, premeditated agricultural terrorism of October 7th, in which 40 irrigation control...

This LSJS podcast is powered by the Walder Foundation and a generous anonymous sponsor. Visit www.lsjs.ac.uk/learning to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you. Talk to us at womensgallery@lsjs.ac.uk and tell us who you'd like to hear interviewed.

Joanne Greenaway sits down with Sarah Gordon, Vice President of Unpacked for Educators, to explore one of the most urgent challenges facing Jewish education today: how to teach Israel in a time of war, polarization, and digital misinformation.

Drawing on years in the classroom and her...

What can I do to hold a fractured people together in a time of grief, disagreement, and uncertainty?

Joanne Greenaway speaks with Jerusalem-based writer and educator Rachel Sharansky Danziger, exploring through her works how prayer, storytelling and leadership can create space for understanding and collaboration even amid deep disagreement.

Rachel's upbringing as the daughter of former Soviet refusenik and Israeli activist leader Natan Sharansky and Avital Sharansky shaped her belief that individual voices can make a difference. Rachel reflects on the emotional complexity of Israeli society since October 7 and discusses prayer as a language of h...

I'm honoured to introduce my long-time role model, Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, a legal scholar and internationally recognized advocate for women's rights. We talk about her pioneering work documenting sexual violence during the October 7th attacks in Israel through the DINA Project, and how she has worked to ensure survivors' experiences are recognized and addressed on both a national and international level.   We also delve into her decades-long efforts to advance women's rights in Israel, particularly through the Ruth and Emmanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women. Ruth explains how the center combines legal aid, advocacy, and r...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/learning to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you.   NEW! Talk to us at womensgallery@lsjs.ac.uk and tell us who you'd like to hear interviewed.

Meet Rabbanit Yaffa Setton - Yoetzet Halacha, rebbetzen, educator and community leader serving the Syrian Sephardic communities of Brooklyn and Deal, New Jersey. Between teaching high school by day and answering halachic questions at all hours, Yaffa occupies a unique and trusted space in the lives of the women she supports. 

Follow her journey through advanced Torah l...

Jo meets Tali Smus, known online as The British Zioness - a university student, activist, and unapologetic Jewish voice in the UK. Raised in a religious Jewish home in London, Tali has become a prominent advocate for Jewish pride and against antisemitism on campus at King's College London while also building a significant online platform through her writing, speaking, and social media presence.

Jo and Tali explore how a young woman finds her voice in hostile environments - from confronting antisemitism at university to navigating activism and hate online. Tali reflects on public speaking without formal training...

Aliza Lavie moves seamlessly between public leadership, scholarship, culture and creativity. A former Member of Knesset, best-selling author and leading scholar of Jewish culture, Aliza has spent her career amplifying women's voices and strengthening connections across the Jewish world. From founding global initiatives that revive women's prayer and heritage, to shaping national conversations on religion, state and gender equality, her work bridges Jewish tradition and contemporary life. As a senior academic, cultural entrepreneur and visionary leader, Aliza offers a rare perspective on how women's leadership can transform Jewish communal and spiritual life across generations.

We discuss working...

I'm thrilled to welcome Michele Weiss, the first Orthodox Jewish woman to be elected mayor of an American city. Michele already has over 15 years of service on City Council of University Heights, Ohio, including multiple terms as Vice Mayor. She also serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, teaches as an adjunct professor, and is a founding member of the nonprofit AMATZ Initiative, which supports professional development for Beis Yaakov school leaders.    A trained accountant with an MBA, she's a powerhouse with a strong commitment to tzniut who puts her children firmly first yet still ma...

In this episode we meet Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg, mashgicha ruchanit and teacher to Israeli and American post-high school students in Migdal Oz, an affiliate of Yeshivat Har Etzion. Shayna is also a yoetzet halacha, a contributing editor for Deracheha: Womenandmitzvot.org, co-host of the podcast "Women Talking Mitzvot" and the author of the book: What Do You Really Want? Trust and Fear in Decision Making at Life's Crossroads and in Everyday Living, and we found a great deal of common ground.

We discuss her role in helping young women to grow while staying connected to their home...

Seasoned shlucha Danielle Chaimovitz has nurtured communities in Estonia, Poland and Germany. A daughter of olim, she was always drawn to communal roles in Jewish life, and she and her husband have made it their specialty to help small communities thrive.

Danielle and I discuss the role of a shlucha - what does success look like? How much should your children be part of your work? Should you ever be advising your community to leave?

I'm surprised and touched to learn the incredible ways the Munich community supported them through the October 7th war, and...

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Who do you look after when you can't look after everyone? How does a leader react when she's the one in need of help? What do you do if you feel pidgeonholed by your education or career choices? Rebbetzen Yael Roodyn, much loved Rebbetzen of Finchley Federation Synagogue, gives us insights into caring for and inspiring her close-knit community, bringing out the leadership in others and ensuring that everyone feels part of the family.

...

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I'm delighted to be joined by Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash, one of the most refreshing and challenging voices in contemporary Jewish learning. Based in Jerusalem, Nechama teaches Talmud and halachah at the Pardes Institute and Matan, where she's known for tackling some of the most complex questions around gender and relationships with honesty, warmth and depth.

Her recently published book, Uncovered: Women's Roles, Mitzvot, and Sexuality in Jewish Law, offers a fearless, richly s...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you.

NEW! Talk to us at womensgallery@lsjs.ac.uk and tell us about amazing women who you'd like to hear interviewed.

Joanne Greenaway is joined by Rabbanit Chana Henkin, founder of Nishmat: The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women in Jerusalem, and Head of its Research Institute.

One of the great pioneers of women's Orthodox Torah scholarship, Rabbanit Henkin has transformed the landscape of women's halachic and spiritual leader...

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NEW! Talk to us at womensgallery@lsjs.ac.uk and tell us about amazing women who you'd like to hear interviewed.

Joanna Benarroch joined Rabbi Sacks' Office of the Chief Rabbi in 1997 and worked for Rabbi Sacks for the next 24 years, first as his Executive Director and then running his private office. Since his passing, Joanna has played a key role in establishing the Rabbi Sacks Legacy to perpetuate his values and teachings.

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you.

NEW! Talk to us at womensgallery@lsjs.ac.uk and tell us about amazing women who you'd like to hear interviewed.

This week, I'm thrilled to welcome Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble to the podcast—turning the tables a bit, since Yosefa herself is an accomplished host of not one, but three podcasts in both Hebrew and English. Her mellifluous voice and natural storytelling draw you in, but it's her deep Torah insights and th...

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I'm delighted to be joined by Jo Grose, the first ever female CEO of the United Synagogue. Jo stepped into the position in 2023, after many years of senior leadership within the organisation, as well as leadership roles at PaJeS and PJ Library and an earlier career in educational publishing. She is also an active member of her local community, where her passion for community-building began, and serves as a trustee of her local Jewish school...

***1st Anniversary Edition!***

It's our birthday! For this special anniversary edition the tables have been turned on me!

Joanne Greenaway is Chief Executive of LSJS. Experienced International Arbitration lawyer and formerly Director of Get cases for the London Beth Din, she is part of Ohr Torah Stone's International Halakha Scholars Program and a Sacks Scholar. One year ago, she launched THIS podcast to inspire women to find what they uniquely bring to the world and create roles for themselves to do so - by showcasing other women in Jewish leadership who've done just that.

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you.

This week I am delighted to be joined by Dr. Haya Langerman. Haya is a medical advisor with a doctorate in diabetes who has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 30 years. For the last 21 months she has been on the frontlines of support for hostage families and fighting for their return (after 669 days now), as a lead volunteer for the Hostage and Missing Families Forum.

We discuss what prompted Haya to drop everything a...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk to learn about our Jewish
learning journeys & find something that suits you.

This week I am delighted to be joined by Shana Aaronson, Executive Director of Magen, where she first began as Social Services Coordinator, supporting families where children had been physically and sexually abused.

Magen is dedicated to creating safer Jewish communities in Israel and around the world by developing and implementing programs that foster transparency, prioritizing the well-being of victims, holding perpetrators accountable, and eliminating the stigma surrounding sexual abuse. Their work...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/connect to learn about our Jewish
learning journeys & find something that suits you.

I'm delighted to welcome Rabbanit Chamutal Shoval, Director of the Susi Bradfield Women's Institute of Halachic Leadership at Midreshet Lindenbaum, and a graduate of its rigorous five‑year program as a Morat Hora'a and Manhiga Ruchanit - empowering women with halachic authority and spiritual leadership and enabling female halachic leaders to claim their place in discourse, advisory roles, synagogues, schools, and more, both in Israel and abroad.

She spent two transformative years...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/connect to learn about our Jewish
learning journeys & find something that suits you.

Gila Pfeffer is an award winning author, breast cancer prevention advocate and mum of
four. Her recent book, Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other
Inconveniences, was the 2024 winner of the Gilda Women's Book award and had me
laughing hysterically and sobbing in equal measure. She describes it as "about losing
both my parents to cancer, trying not to get cancer myself, then getting it anyway".

...

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learning journeys & find something that suits you.

Today I'm honoured to welcome Sharon Rosen, a leader in interfaith peace
building in Israel and around the world. Sharon served as Search for Common
Ground's Global Director of Religious Engagement from 2017 until recently. She
also co-founded and directed Education for Life, an NGO that provides tools for
the development and wellbeing of children within state educational systems. She
was also a faculty member at the Jerusalem Center...

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learning journeys & find something that suits you.

Rabbanit Nicole Duke is not an obvious leader, but her guidance behind the scenes at
crucial times and life cycle events helps countless people through both difficult
and wonderful times. First she is a shomeret, a kashrut supervisor enabling
kosher functions to take place. She is also responsible for the chevra kadisha -
the organisation dedicated to caring for the deceased and preparing them for
burial - at...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/connect to learn about our Jewish
learning journeys & find something that suits you.

I learn every day with my chavruta in Israel using Sefaria sources. So I'm delighted to be
interviewing Rabbanit Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld, Chief Learning Officer at Sefaria, the online
database and interface for Jewish texts.

Sara is passionate about Talmud education and about expanding Jewish textual knowledge
and its accessibility for all. She writes and teaches widely about Jewish texts and Jewish
law, and her current projects...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/connect to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you. 

What's it like to be part of the Jewish community in Hungary? Home to the second largest synagogue in the world yet a hidden Jewish population that no-one can count, how does it function and what will its future be?

Jewish educator, historian and tour guide Szonja Komoroczy is Vice Rector at the Jewish University of Budapest and has lectured and published extensively in English, Hungarian, Hebrew, and Yiddish. As an educator, her...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/connect to learn about our Jewish
learning journeys & find something that suits you.

Dr Tanya White is a much loved teacher at LSJS and Matan, and a lecturer in Jewish
Philosophy at Bar Ilan University. Tanya lives in Israel with her husband and four girls, and
she writes, teaches and lectures on Tanach and Jewish Philosophy. She has a very unique
style that is both inspiring and intellectually stimulating and our students here at lsjs.ac.uk
love her. I always learn...

Today, we're live! I'm at the Orthodox Women's Torah Leadership Convening with Ann
Pava and Elizabeth Walder, trailblazers of Jewish philanthropy, strategically growing the field
of Orthodox Jewish women's Torah leadership.

As we sit onstage at the Convening that Ann and Elizabeth made happen, they reveal how
they choose where to invest, and how they go forward as partners with those organisations
lucky enough to receive their help. We marvel at how far this field has come - programmes in
learning and leadership that are now available for women and girls, and...

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/connect to learn about our Jewish
learning journeys & find something that suits you.

Suzy Goldberg is a pillar of the London community who embodies humble leadership. She's
a mother, grandmother, shadchanit (Jewish matchmaker) and Torah teacher of over 30
years. She's also a graduate of the LSJS BA and MA degree programmes in Jewish
Education and she works today with an organisation called Shidduch.im, the UK's
branch of the fabulously-named Saw You at Sinai Jewish dating app, and she's
encouraged, counselled a...