(18) Strategic investing in Women’s Orthodox Torah Leadership with Ann Pava and Elizabeth Walder
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
Release Date: 03/31/2025
(39) Combating Campus Antisemitism with The British Zioness, Tali Smus
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
Jo meets Tali Smus, known online as The British Zioness - a university student, activist, and unapologetic Jewish voice in the UK. Raised in a religious Jewish home in London, Tali has become a prominent advocate for Jewish pride and against antisemitism on campus at King’s College London while also building a significant online platform through her writing, speaking, and social media presence. Jo and Tali explore how a young woman finds her voice in hostile environments - from confronting antisemitism at university to navigating activism and hate online. Tali reflects on public speaking...
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(38) Bridging differences to create social change, with Dr. Aliza Lavie
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
Aliza Lavie moves seamlessly between public leadership, scholarship, culture and creativity. A former Member of Knesset, best-selling author and leading scholar of Jewish culture, Aliza has spent her career amplifying women’s voices and strengthening connections across the Jewish world. From founding global initiatives that revive women’s prayer and heritage, to shaping national conversations on religion, state and gender equality, her work bridges Jewish tradition and contemporary life. As a senior academic, cultural entrepreneur and visionary leader, Aliza offers a rare perspective on...
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(37) Michele Weiss, Orthodox Mayor-Elect: Jewish Values in American Politics
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
I’m thrilled to welcome Michele Weiss, the first Orthodox Jewish woman to be elected mayor of an American city. Michele already has over 15 years of service on City Council of University Heights, Ohio, including multiple terms as Vice Mayor. She also serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, teaches as an adjunct professor, and is a founding member of the nonprofit AMATZ Initiative, which supports professional development for Beis Yaakov school leaders. A trained accountant with an MBA, she’s a powerhouse with a strong commitment to tzniut who...
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(36) Guiding young women through transitions, with Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
In this episode we meet Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg, mashgicha ruchanit and teacher to Israeli and American post-high school students in Migdal Oz, an affiliate of Yeshivat Har Etzion. Shayna is also a yoetzet halacha, a contributing editor for Deracheha: Womenandmitzvot.org, co-host of the podcast “Women Talking Mitzvot” and the author of the book: What Do You Really Want? Trust and Fear in Decision Making at Life's Crossroads and in Everyday Living, and we found a great deal of common ground. We discuss her role in helping young women to grow while staying connected to their home and roots,...
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(35) Danielle Chaimovitz: The well-travelled shlichim of Europe
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
Seasoned shlucha Danielle Chaimovitz has nurtured communities in Estonia, Poland and Germany. A daughter of olim, she was always drawn to communal roles in Jewish life, and she and her husband have made it their specialty to help small communities thrive. Danielle and I discuss the role of a shlucha - what does success look like? How much should your children be part of your work? Should you ever be advising your community to leave? I'm surprised and touched to learn the incredible ways the Munich community supported them through the October 7th war, and fascinated by the subtle differences...
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(34) Holding a community - with Rebbetzen Yael Roodyn
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you. Who do you look after when you can't look after everyone? How does a leader react when she's the one in need of help? What do you do if you feel pidgeonholed by your education or career choices? Rebbetzen Yael Roodyn, much loved Rebbetzen of Finchley Federation Synagogue, gives us insights into caring for and inspiring her close-knit community, bringing out the leadership in others and ensuring that everyone feels part of the family. With a Master of Research in...
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(33) Uncovering Halacha for Women Today, with Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you. I’m delighted to be joined by Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash, one of the most refreshing and challenging voices in contemporary Jewish learning. Based in Jerusalem, Nechama teaches Talmud and halachah at the Pardes Institute and Matan, where she’s known for tackling some of the most complex questions around gender and relationships with honesty, warmth and depth. Her recently published book, Uncovered: Women’s Roles, Mitzvot, and Sexuality in Jewish Law, offers a...
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(32) Transforming the halachic landscape, with Nishmat founder Rabbanit Chana Henkin
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you. NEW! Talk to us at and tell us about amazing women who you’d like to hear interviewed. Joanne Greenaway is joined by Rabbanit Chana Henkin, founder of Nishmat: The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women in Jerusalem, and Head of its Research Institute. One of the great pioneers of women's Orthodox Torah scholarship, Rabbanit Henkin has transformed the landscape of women's halachic and spiritual leadership. Together...
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(31) Truth Lived, Not Just Truth Learned: The Enduring Legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt"l, with Joanna Benarroch
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you. NEW! Talk to us at and tell us about amazing women who you’d like to hear interviewed. Joanna Benarroch joined Rabbi Sacks’ Office of the Chief Rabbi in 1997 and worked for Rabbi Sacks for the next 24 years, first as his Executive Director and then running his private office. Since his passing, Joanna has played a key role in establishing the Rabbi Sacks Legacy to perpetuate his values and teachings. We discuss what drove Rabbi Sacks to...
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(30) Realistic teshuva with Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble
Women’s Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership
This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you. NEW! Talk to us at and tell us about amazing women who you’d like to hear interviewed. This week, I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble to the podcast—turning the tables a bit, since Yosefa herself is an accomplished host of not one, but three podcasts in both Hebrew and English. Her mellifluous voice and natural storytelling draw you in, but it’s her deep Torah insights and thoughtful reflections on personal growth that make this episode truly special....
info_outlineToday, we’re live! I’m at the Orthodox Women’s Torah Leadership Convening with Ann
Pava and Elizabeth Walder, trailblazers of Jewish philanthropy, strategically growing the field
of Orthodox Jewish women’s Torah leadership.
As we sit onstage at the Convening that Ann and Elizabeth made happen, they reveal how
they choose where to invest, and how they go forward as partners with those organisations
lucky enough to receive their help. We marvel at how far this field has come - programmes in
learning and leadership that are now available for women and girls, and positions held by
women that were traditionally reserved for men. We discuss the challenges for Orthodox
women seeking a career in Torah leadership as well the hurdles we’ve overcome, and the
work still to do in this field.
Anne Pava is the president of Micah Philanthropies. An activist, philanthropist, thought
leader and community builder, she loves to mentor and empower women, especially to lead,
and to make the world a better place and has been pivotally to the Prizmah Centre for
Jewish Day Schools, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Hebrew High School of
New England and the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusets. She is involved in many
other boards and has won an award for outstanding women philanthropists.
Elizabeth Walder is president and executive director of the Walder Foundation and the board
chair of Walder Operations. She is a lawyer by training and led a multicultural immigration
law practise helping thousands of immigrants reach their full potential. Later she served as
the chief sustainability officer at IDT before establishing The Walder Foundation with her
husband. Through its Jewish Life pillar the Walder Foundation founds many initiatives to
empower Orthodox women’s Torah leadership and Elizabeth was awarded the Hinda
Institute’s Heroines of Hope award in 2022 given to a visionary broad-minded philanthropist
who personifies leadership and compassion.
Special thanks to Dr. Elana Stein Hain, who organized the convening. (You can hear Jo's Women's Gallery interview with her here.)
Listen to Jo's interview with Rabbanit Michelle Cohen Farber here.