Rising Voices Blog Posts

Rising Voices

Learn more about the Rising Voices Fellowship, JWA's thought-leadership program for young Jewish women and non-binary teens.
Rainbow collage with text reading "God of Vengance: A Drama in Three Acts By Sholom Asch

How A Scandalous Yiddish Play Inspires Me to Write Bold Theater

Meital Fried

Paula Vogel's play, Indecent, explores relationships against the backdrop of assimilation, antisemitism, and censorship. 

Topics: Theater
Colorful collage of a typewriter with stars of david in the top left corner

Writing My Own Queer Jewish Representation

Charli Duchalski

Writing is not only an easy way to share a message, but it is also an act of resistance.

Collage of colorful stars of david

There Is No “More" or “Less” Jewish: Reflections on Jewish Diversity

Murphy Slater

When we allow all members of our community to celebrate their way of being Jewish, we create a more accepting environment for everyone.

Collage of dollar bills

Three Women in Economics You Should Know

Bee Foster

Claudia Goldin, Janet Yellen, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala shattered glass ceilings so that my generation can go further.

Collage with apples and a snake at the center

Exploring Lilith’s Complex Feminism

Maya Braiterman

As a dual symbol of protection and destruction, the ancient Lilith exists as a contradiction.

Collage of a book with a star of david on the cover

Am I a Bad Jew?

Gaby Brown

The story of Joseph’s brothers teaches us that guilt is not something to fear, but to learn from.

Collage of a megaphone and an eye

Let’s All Be Bitches Together

Dany Dorsey

A bitch is any woman who doesn’t act as docile, forgiving, nurturing, or fill-in-the-blank as she's “supposed to.”

Collage of Debbie Friedman with text that reads "And the women dancing with their trimbels followed Miriam as she sang her song"

Debbie Friedman Taught Me to Use My Voice

Margaret Lockman

Friedman inspired and empowered women to speak out. Singing teaches us how to use our voices and discover how powerful they can be.

Collage with hands writing

Am I a Writer?

Jess Shapiro

Joining RVF, I did not doubt my identity as Jewish feminist. I questioned what Jewish feminism really had to do with writing—but I went along with it.

Collage of the Kotel with a hand touching the wall and stars around.

Praying for a Feminist Future at the Kotel

Amia Kaplun

Learning about the Women of the Wall made me realize that my discomfort at the Kotel was part of a larger, ongoing struggle for religious equity. 

Collage of Diane Von Furstenberg

The Feminine Power of Diane Von Furstenberg’s Wrap Dress

Dany Dorsey

When I put my wrap dress on, it is a continuation of Von Furstenberg's legacy of empowerment. 

Collage of Nechama Leibowitz and a torah scroll

How Nechama Leibowitz Helped Me Reclaim Torah

Gaby Brown

Nechama Leibowitz revolutionized the way Torah is studied and played a crucial role in shaping contemporary approaches to scripture.

Collage of Blu Greenberg with a drawn asterisk in the background

The Contradiction of Orthodox Feminism

Lea Davis

Blu Greenberg for showed me that Orthodoxy can be more inclusive for women and other underrepresented groups.

Emma Goldman with green and blue multi-color stars and a megaphone

Wrestling with Identity Politics

Jess Shapiro

In some ways this “identity revolution” introduces a new type of social order.

Star of david with red and pink waves

Finding My Voice As a Patrilineal Jew

Murphy Slater

The definition of patrilineal is “based on relationship to the father” which means my Judaism is…complicated.  

Collage of women dancing with a rainbow background

Rhymes with Bike: Reflections from a Queer Jew

Liana Galper

Connected by a visceral understanding of one another, queer Jews are able to widen each other’s understanding of Judaism.

Collage of the Seattle skyline including the Space Needle. There is a Jewish star in the sky with water colors.

Karen Treiger: An Inspiring Jewish Change-Maker

Yona Pianko

In the Seattle Jewish community, Karen Treiger is known for fighting for women’s involvement in Jewish ritual.

Collage of Linda McCartney with colorful squiggles around it

Linda McCartney's Jewish, Feminist Activism

Sylvie Simmons

Regardless of how Linda presented herself or practiced her religion, Jewish values are evident in her activism. 

Images of biblical women

No Education Without Representation: Recognizing Women in Jewish Texts

Maya Braiterman

From the tender age of six years old I was surrounded by Torah study, and yet I never felt represented in these stories.

Topics: Bible, Feminism, Talmud
Image of Eden Golan

Eden Golan at Eurovision: Representing Israeli Resilience through Song

Amia Kaplun

Golan’s disqualification evoked many emotions for me. I struggled to grapple with how a song describing the terror and tragedy from October 7 could be seen as controversial.

Collage with an image of Mary Shelley and of Frankenstein's monster

The Identity of the Teenage Girl, From Mary Shelley to Lisa Frankenstein

Dany Dorsey

Mary Shelley, in all her unconventional womanhood, wrote the ultimate tale of misfits. Frankenstein meditates on nature, human limitations, the price of advancement, and the repercussions of the pursuit of knowledge.

Topics: Fiction
Collage with image of Kristen Bell and Adam Brody acting in Nobody Wants This with a heart.

The Problematic Portrayal of Jewish Women in Netflix's Nobody Wants This

Zoe Moore

The Jewish women we meet throughout Nobody Wants This are portrayed as male-obsessed and manipulative villains.

Topics: Television
Collage with image of characters from the film, Anora and Vanya, and Coney Island cyclone roller coaster

The Imperfect Feminist Politics of Anora

Sylvie Simmons

Madison’s realistic performance creates a likeable character who's hard not to empathize with. But while Baker attempts to abandon a cliché, fairytale ending, he struggles to portray his protagonist without a male-savior-counterpart.

Topics: Film
Collage with image of Amit Elor wrestling with medals in the background

Amit Elor Inspired Me to Become a Wrestler

Ruth Pollin-Galay

In the weeks following Elor’s win, the thought of wrestling completely took over my brain. Being able to execute anything like Elor did seemed like a dream.

Topics: Athletes

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Rising Voices Blog Posts." (Viewed on September 11, 2025) <https://qa.jwa.org/blog/risingvoices>.