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.
The Secret Garden
Reading the Torah has always fascinated me. I grew up in a home of leyners (readers of Torah, traditionally men) ...
Learning and Re-Learning How to Leyn
This blog post was written shortly after Purim 2013. If you’re reading megillah this year and need help learning the ...
Signing in Solidarity
This piece was submitted on Friday, January 31, 2014. The event took place on Sunday, January 26.—When a couple gets ...
Mommy Wars and Midrash
People talk a lot about societal changes over time, how perspectives and norms evolve – for instance, the idea that ...
A Feminist Ryan Gosling for the Shomer-Shabbos Crowd
Inspired by the ubiquitous Venmo ads on the NYC Subway, comedian and former yeshiva student Eitan Levine came up with ...
Women, Tefillin, and Double Standards
I am a person who puts on, or “lays,” tefillin (phylacteries). I happen to be female. While my gender, to ...
Some Helpful Advice on Starting and Ending a Period of Mourning
Anyone who knows me even a bit also knows that I thrive on social contact and interacting with people. However, ...
“Ich bin ein JOFA-nik!”
If I ever had a rabbi, Ruth Calderon would be her. I only ever saw Calderon once, on Youtube, as ...
VIDEO: Ruth Calderon: A Familiar Voice, from Israel
Many wonderful things happened at last week’s JOFA Conference. But the highlight for me was Israeli Knesset member Ruth Calderon’s impromptu ...
Limmud-Gate and Learning to Debate With Love
The following d’var torah was given by Lindsay Simmonds at the first UK partnership minyan in November. To find out ...