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Although I had done other interviews in the past, I always seemed to dread the idea of sitting someone down and asking intrusive questions. However, this interview was entirely different.

http://qa.jwa.org/teach/bestpractices/weberschool2008

Eve the Mother

Learn about Eve’s role as the first mother, and consider what her story might teach us about going through a difficult experience without sufficient support.

http://qa.jwa.org/teach/girlsintrouble/eve-the-mother

Portrayals of Women in Israeli Media

Representations of women in a variety of Israeli media, such as advertising, news, and entertainment, reflect and perpetuate the marginality of women in Israeli society. While representations have diversified over the years, showing Israeli women in more varied professional roles and enjoying sexual freedom and independence, overall the gender inequity remains and women are still marginalized in Israeli media.

http://qa.jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/media-israeli-portrayal-of-women

Jewish Women in the Cairo Genizah

The Cairo Genizah (950-1250) contained a vast array of documents pertaining to women’s lives in the medieval Islamic world. Letters, wills, business arrangements, marriage documents, court cases and rabbinic responsa shed light on the lives of the poor and the wealthy, the married and divorced or widowed.

http://qa.jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/genizah

Academia in Israel

In recent years, attention has been drawn to the persistent gender inequality in Israeli academia. Although some positive change occurred in the position of women faculty in Israeli academia during the 1990s, questions remain about why there are so few faculty members and why progress has been so slow.

http://qa.jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/academia-in-israel

Julie Rezmovic-Tonti and Jessica Kirzane

Julie Rezmovic-Tonti, with Jessica Kirzane

Julie Rezmovic-Tonti teaches middle school Jewish history and serves as Outreach Coordinator at Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax, Virginia. She has a BA in Women's Studies from the University of Maryland and an MA in Jewish Studies from Siegal College. She also studied at Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo and the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband, three children, typewriter, pottery wheel, and garden.

http://qa.jwa.org/twersky/rezmovic-tonti-julie

January 15, 2019

Governing with Valor

Molly Weiner

As the first woman Justice of New York, Polier valiantly worked to improve the family court, fought for the rights of children and poor families, and tirelessly lobbied to ease quotas on Jewish refugees. Libby Schaaf, the 52-year-old mayor of Oakland, California, also fights for the inclusion of all people.

Topics: Civil Service, Immigration, Social Policy

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/risingvoices/governing-with-valor

Composite Image of Amanda Knox and the Scarlet Letter Cover from 1934

August 1, 2018

The Scarlet Letter Reports

Rebecca Long

In the 2018 Facebook series, The Scarlet Letter Reports, host Amanda Knox explores this idea: that the world wields a woman’s sexuality against her like a weapon. In each episode of the Broadly-produced show, she interviews a famous woman who has been attacked or disbelieved because of her sexuality or sexual history.

Topics: Feminism, Television

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/scarlet-letter-reports

June 7, 2018

Rising From the Ashes

Rachel Harris

April 19th was a day of highs and lows. During the day, school was abuzz. Everyone was talking about the next day’s school walkout (planned in response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida)–whether they were going to do it, what they thought the punishments might be, if they were going to be in our local newspaper…my phone was on fire with texts from the organizers’ group chat. We planned to meet that day after school. We sat in the conference room, excitedly discussing who was bringing what, and writing the post for the Facebook event. I went home, giddy and anxious. My leg bounced under my kitchen table while I worked on my homework, my trademark nervous habit. I worried that no one would show up, or that everyone would get in trouble and blame me, or that it would rain really hard. My foot bounced faster. My phone dinged, bringing me out of my reverie.

Topics: Activism, Schools

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/risingvoices/rising-from-ashes

June 26, 2017

On Being A Social Justice Rabbi

Rabbi Rachel Grant Meyer

In her interview on the “Choice Between Activism and Learning,” Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld tells the story of being asked, during her rabbinical school interview, how it felt to be giving up an activist’s life to pursue a several-year course of learning.

Topics: Rabbis

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/on-being-social-justice-rabbi

February 3, 2017

Get Educated

Sarah Biskowitz

Betsy DeVos and I are about as close to enemies as two advocates for children could be, and about as different as two white Midwestern women have ever been. We both believe in the power of education, but we see the purpose of education very differently.

Topics: Schools, Politics and Government

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/risingvoices/get-educated

January 4, 2016

Monica Lewinsky: From Ruin To Role Model

Abby Richmond

While we know the most intimate details of the scandal, what most Americans don’t know about (or don’t care about) is the extreme personal harm that Lewinsky endured as a result.

Topics: Feminism, Politics and Government

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/risingvoices/monica-lewinsky-from-ruin-to-role-model

Rising Voices Fellow Caroline Kubzansky as a Child

December 16, 2015

The Elements Of Style

Caroline Kubzansky

Every single morning, I wake up, shake the fog out of my head, and consider what I am going to wear. Almost every day, my outfit is some version of Doc Martens (or, “Docs”) boots, a white button up shirt, and jeans. I somewhat intentionally do not dress like most of the other girls in my grade. I don’t care about looking similar to them, but I do care about my appearance.

Topics: Feminism, Fashion and Beauty

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/risingvoices/elements-of-style

August 27, 2014

Goodbye, Gail!

Tara Metal

Each week during JWA’s Thursday morning staff meeting, we sit around our conference room table and share “Words on the Street”—tidbits, stories, and anecdotes that we’ve heard from various places in the JWA community. This week, as Gail Reimer’s tenure as Executive Director comes to an end, we dedicate a blog post to words from our staff honoring the vision and commitment of our leader, colleague, and friend. We invite you to share your words and stories about Gail and JWA in the comments below.

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/goodbye-gail

Ruth Messinger

The public often has different expectations of women than of men. They are not sure that women should be working, particularly in a business they think of as dirty.

http://qa.jwa.org/feminism/messinger-ruth

Betty Jean Lifton, 1926 - 2010

BJ made an amazing difference in the lives of adopted people, birthparents, and adoptive parents
and professionals.
She never wavered in her beliefs, and in her stand for human rights in adoption.

http://qa.jwa.org/weremember/lifton-betty

January 19, 2012

They will spit: In the tradition of Miriam, Jewish women will continue to challenge the establishment

Susan Reimer-Torn

The ultra-orthodox establishment in Israel is reportedly losing sleep over women’s demands for equality.

Topics: Activism, Feminism, Bible, Spirituality and Religious Life

http://qa.jwa.org/blog/they-will-spit-in-tradition-of-miriam-jewish-women-will-continue-to-challenge-establishment

Mildred Cohn, 1913 - 2009

Back in Cohn's day even her own PhD advisor could not help her find a suitable job, for in the era of pre-"equal opportunity" employment, Cohn had two strikes going against her – being a woman and Jewish – that no amount of talent could seem to overcome.

http://qa.jwa.org/weremember/cohn-mildred