The Chochmat Nashim Podcast: Women Talk Judaism

Special Episode! Shoshanna sits down with Mark Trencher of the Orthomomics podcast, cross-posted here. Our guest is Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, a well-known Orthodox Jewish writer and activist whose work focuses on women's rights in Orthodox Judaism and the visibility of women in religious life. Born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey, she moved to Israel with her family, where she has become a promi...

In this short Chanukah conversation, Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll sits down with Franciska to discuss her new release "Ko Amar"—a song written to shine light on the painful reality of Agunot, women halachically "chained" in marriages. Together, they explore why this issue cannot remain in the shadows, how music can serve as both protest and prayer, and what it means to bring light where there has been...

Rare is the rabbi willing to make a public statement on the head coverings of Orthodoxy's married women, given how fraught the topic can be. Rav Yoni not only posted about it on Facebook, but he also breathed new life into an old conversation. Shoshanna and Anne talk to him about the post, the reactions, and even get him to give a basic p'sak. Read Rav Yoni's Facebook post here . Music: "Misery" b...

Chochmat Nashim has been shining a spotlight on the insidious practice of erasing women for more than a decade -- and been frustrated by how hard it is to reverse the trend, especially when so many people agree that it's bad. In this episode, Anne and Shoshanna speak with Golda Daphna, who has an explanation for why men are putting obstacles in women's way. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Israel is in turmoil, divided on questions of how best to handle Gaza, how to answer the world, with its pointed fingers at Israel, and how best to resolve the IDF's need for manpower (and the Haredi avoidance of the draft). Shoshanna and Anne tackle these issues that seem urgent in Israeli society today - even when we know our discussion is limited in its ability to fix all that's wrong with the...

Sorrow at losing a loved one is said to be love with no place to go, but we have discovered that sharing loss grows community. Shira Lankin Sheps and Tzipora Lifchitz join Anne and Shoshanna to reflect on what happens when we grieve with friends and what it means to keep a person's presence alive -- in this case, our dear friend, Laura Ben-David z"l. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Where were you when Israel attacked Iran's nuclear program and Iran sent ballistic missiles at civilian population centers in return? Shoshanna and Anne compare their experiences. Plus, a reminder that making extreme changes to your personal modesty is not the Jewish way to help Israel or anyone. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Who are the women who fight for Israel? What are their challenges? Should they be welcome to every position? They garner tremendous support -- but not from everyone (why not?!). Shoshanna and Anne address these questions and more. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Some people chase meaning their entire lives; others have it as a constant guiding force. Chochmat Nashim board member and best friend Laura Ben-David talks to Shoshanna and Anne about why she joined she signed on as our first board member, what working toward a healthy Jewish community mean to her, and why she has invested so much of herself in the Jewish Life Photo Bank. Music: "Misery" by The W...

The recent election for the World Zionist Congress startled Shoshanna and Anne in two key ways: 1) Too many people were voting for parties that they didn't truly identify with; 2) Many in the Diaspora don't know much about Israeli society (including, most shockingly, that so many non-Haredi Orthodox Jews serve in the IDF). Here's Chochmat Nashim's cry for due diligence, which of course goes beyond...

For Jewish marriage to be holy, Jewish divorce must have dignity. Shoshanna and Anne host Chochmat Nashim Board Member Rabbi Chuck Davidson to talk about his groundbreaking work to keep Jewish marriage holy, through the organization, Chuppot. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

In our annual pre-Pesach preparation episode, Shoshanna and Anne talk with Dr. Tanya White to bring Torah to the seder table: on slavery, liberty, the heritage of Jewish identity, and God's constant presence, even when the times feel impossible. Listen to Chochmat Nashim's pre-Pesach preparation conversations from the past three years, with Rabbanit Sara Wolkenfeld , Rachel Sharansky Danziger , an...

The Orthodox Union did some research about why some people leave the Orthodox fold. Shoshanna and Anne review their findings and discuss what we can and can't learn from their process and conclusions. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Chochmat Nashim is sharing the results of its multi-year survey of Jewish courts around the world to improve the beit din experience, the first ever of its kind, and Shoshanna and Anne discuss the results and why they're important. Moreover, the topic of agunot, women chained in Jewish marriage despite their desire to divorce, was recently discussed in the Knesset, and one MK may be taking action...

Shoshanna and Anne take a hard look at the impact of the recent national events on the local experience of travail - the bombardment of so much emotional news and ongoing uncertainty that leave many of us feeling pulverized. And how do we function at a time when everything seems to be too much for so many (from deep breaths to a day at the beach to the stunning song of Daniella Gilboa). Music: "Mi...

All eyes and attention are on the returning hostages in awe, pride, empathy, and reverence. They have made us, Shoshanna and Anne, reconsider how we define our role models, including their Torah observance, and not only because of it. May we never face such depraved adversity, but we find we must extrapolate from their perseverance and strength for our own lives. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Meeting the right person is never easy, but dating seems to be harder these days, with the guys having expectations of supermodels, while failing to be "mentsches" themselves. "Abby" and "Gila" (identities protected) join Shoshanna and Anne to talk about the unpleasant underbelly of what it takes to begin the process of finding Mr. Right. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Ben Shapiro's recent article posed a challenge for Anne, Shoshanna, and their guest, Dr. Yardaena Osband: Where can Modern Orthodoxy improve? Together, they raise concerns about what the community faces and the need for leadership and personal conviction going forward. (Originally released on December 25th, 2022) Music: "Misery" by The Whips

The Modern Orthodox community knows about the problem, but it's not going away. What YOU can do to fight erasing women -- Shoshanna and Anne weigh in after more than a decade on the front lines. Music: "Misery" by The Whips  

When the people you believe will be your natural partners in activism denigrate you for your religious observance, that's painful. But when others ignore the middle ground for the sake of their own entrenched beliefs, that's just wrong. Shoshanna and Anne spotlight this positioning in Jewish (and Israeli) society, and call out the extremism of both right and left for being... extremist. Music: "Mi...

After one person's complaint led the OU-Torah Tidbits to remove images of women from the back cover, Chochmat Nashim worked to increase women's profiles in the publication, especially in writing more of the Torah columns. But what would have happened without those behind-the-scenes efforts? A case study in the value in speaking out. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Since October 7, it has been painful for many people of faith to approach God, to find the words to respond to our changing, impossible reality. A new book - AZ NASHIR brings all the pathos and the hope, providing words for those who can't find their own. Compiled and edited by Shira Lankin Sheps, Rachel Sharansky Danziger, and Anne (!), this moving anthology brings together the poetic, prayerful...

Another blow in Israel with Hamas's cold-blooded murder of six hostages on the verge of being rescued alive by the IDF. Shoshanna and Anne probe the country's state of raw emotion, call out the evil of Hamas, acknowledge the conflict of being put between a rock and a hard place, and offer tips for the things we all can do to make the world a better place.

Rabbi Dr. Noam Weinberg joins Shoshanna and Anne to explain the toxicity and dysfunctionality facing too many couples and families in our community. Importantly, he also offers tips and tools to help people avoid these pitfalls. Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Sometimes, all the progress lands society right back at the beginning. Just ask the women who would like to be on Israel's committee to select rabbis. Or the female tank soldiers. Or the liberal left who would never tolerate discrimination, except when it comes to Orthodox women. Anne and Shoshanna review the things that have changed, but remained the same. Music: "Misery" by The Whips