Women's Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership

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...

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 Or...

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 a...

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, Pen...

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 profession...

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-m...

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...

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 urg...

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 refu...

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 int...

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. Be...

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...

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 r...

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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,...

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. 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...

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...

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

***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 pod...

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 fighti...

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...