JOFA's Torch
The Torch explores gender and religion in the Jewish community. Named for Deborah the Prophetess, “the woman of torches,” the blog highlights the passion and fiery leadership of Jewish feminists, while evoking the powerful image of feminists “passing the torch” to a new generation. Disclaimer: All posts are contributed by third party authors. JOFA does not assume responsibility for the facts and opinions presented in them.
For Tisha B’Av, A Feminist Reading of Lamentations
For those of us engaged in the lifelong passion and struggle of learning Torah with a feminist consciousness, writing it ...
When Leaders Need Chaplains
An important aspect of spiritual leadership is ministering to people in times of stress and pain as chaplains do. Below ...
Why the Jewish Community Needs to Discuss Sex Trafficking
“Sarah” had a pretty average childhood, growing up in an Orthodox Jewish home in New York City with her mother, ...
A New Day for P’sak
“Question authority!” was the mantra of my peer group when I was coming of age in the late ’60s. How ...
Challah and Soccer: Kicking Away the Stereotypes
In my modern Orthodox co-ed day school, a certain event this week caused me to stop in my tracks. This ...
Survival of the Self: Continuously Cultivating an Independent Identity
Like everyone else, I balance different aspects of my identity: American, Jew, New Yorker, educator, feminist, mother, white, spouse, runner, ...
Empowering Bat Mitzvah Girls
A few years ago my family was living in Israel and attending a synagogue near our home. One Shabbat, our ...
We’re Here, We’re Queer, We Made Cholent!
[A digital rendering of this originally hand-written epistolary blog post can be found here.]June 19, 2015Hello and Happy Pride Month!I ...
The Growth and Development of an Independent, Observant Minyan
Kol Sasson Congregation was founded in Skokie, Illinois in 2003 as a Shira Hadasha-style minyan. At first, we met on ...
Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence in the Orthodox World
When I say I work at a domestic violence shelter that serves the religious community, reactions are divided and fall ...