The Rabbis sing paeans of praise of Rahab for her beauty and wisdom. In many midrashim, Rahab comes to symbolize the positive influence Israel exerts on the surrounding Gentile nations, as well as successful conversion. Her ability to mend her ways was exemplary for ensuing generations, who used Rahab’s story to request divine mercy and pardon for their actions.

Born in Italy in 1825, Flora Sophia Clementina Randegger-Friedenberg was a persistent educator and writer. She is best known for the publication of her Jerusalem journal, which shared her extraordinary experiences in a way that combined messianic hope and the enlightenment ideals of knowledge and progress.

An operatic soprano, Judith Raskin was one of the most outstanding musical artists of the twentieth century. Known for her performances and unique teaching methods, Raskin played more than 60 roles for prestigious opera companies across the United States, sang lieder and orchestral works, and taught at the Manhattan School of Music and the 92nd Street Y. 

After participating in the 1905 Russian Revolution and immigrating to New York, Miriam Raskin wrote about the lives of ordinary, young Jewish women who defied convention and joined revolutionary movements. She published three books, a serialized novel, and numerous short stories in various periodicals. She was praised for her ability to “paint” vibrate pictures of her characters’ lives.

Dedicating her life to ameliorating the condition of the poor, the oppressed, and the sick, Bertha Floersheim Rauh first worked for over twenty years as a volunteer and for twelve years as Director of the Department of Public Welfare of the City of Pittsburgh. She brought about many reforms in the public services sphere throughout her career and was highly regarded by her colleagues and the communities she served.

Following in the footsteps of her famous father, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, Elizabeth Brandeis Raushenbush became an expert on labor legislation in the United States and one of its strongest defenders.

Dalia Raz was an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces who worked to redefine women’s role in the Israel Defense Forces. As an OC (Officer Commanding) in the IDF Women’s Corps, she worked to expand the types of duties women were able to perform while serving in the IDF and encouraged women’s participation across all sectors of the IDF’s operations.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 made a convinced socialist of Nora Block and inspired her to study law. After leaving Nazi Germany for France and then Platiel, Platiel returned home, eventually becoming the first woman director of a German district court and being elected for three terms in the Hessian State Parliament.

Maya Plisetskaya was one of the legendary ballerinas of her generation. Her aunt and uncle, Sulamif and Asaf Messerer, helped to guide her into the ballet world, despite the persecution they faced during World War II. In 1943 she joined the Bolshoi and remained a principal dancer well into the 1960s.