Women's Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership

I'm honoured to introduce my long-time role model, Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, a legal scholar and internationally recognized advocate for women's rights. We talk about her pioneering work documenting sexual violence during the October 7th attacks in Israel through the DINA Project, and how she has worked to ensure survivors' experiences are recognized and addressed on both a national and international level.
 
We also delve into her decades-long efforts to advance women's rights in Israel, particularly through the Ruth and Emmanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women. Ruth explains how the center combines legal aid, advocacy, and research to support women navigating family law and divorce, while pushing for broader systemic change.
 
In spite of a system she feels is broken, Ruth is hopeful and persevering in her work from within legal and religious systems to create lasting impact. This episode is a fascinating look at courage, leadership, and the ongoing fight for gender justice in Israel and beyond.
 
This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/learning to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you.
 
NEW! Talk to us at [email protected] and tell us who you'd like to hear interviewed.

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/learning to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you.
 
NEW! Talk to us at [email protected] and tell us who you'd like to hear interviewed.
Meet Rabbanit Yaffa Setton - Yoetzet Halacha, rebbetzen, educator and community leader serving the Syrian Sephardic communities of Brooklyn and Deal, New Jersey. Between teaching high school by day and answering halachic questions at all hours, Yaffa occupies a unique and trusted space in the lives of the women she supports. 
Follow her journey through advanced Torah learning — from Nishmat's Yoetzet Halacha training to the International Halacha Scholars Program and now Ematai's groundbreaking end-of-life care fellowship. We reflect on the kinds of sensitive, complex questions women bring her: mikvah, fertility, medical decisions, and moments of real vulnerability. We explore the delicate balance between guidance and psak, the importance of creating safe spaces to ask, and why sometimes simply having someone who understands makes all the difference.
We also talk about the strength and warmth of the Syrian community she serves, teaching Torah across generations of the same families, and the models of leadership that inspire her most - particularly Sarah's insight and Miriam's courage to step forward without being asked. It's a thoughtful, grounded conversation about leading with both knowledge and heart.
Hear from Chana Henkin, founder of the Yoetzet Halacha programme: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6NvpCAAjrpn1iL0mXgDb8k?si=w1082KvMQ0aQKNDSWxyBSQ
Book the course: Women & Mitzvot, featuring Joanne Greenaway: https://lsjs.ac.uk/women-mitzvot-2768

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 without formal training, imposter syndrome, social media as a tool for advocacy, and the emotional toll of being a visible Jewish and Zionist woman. The conversation also examines campus culture, institutional responses to antisemitism, collaboration versus solo activism, and the pressures facing this generation of students.

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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 how women's leadership can transform Jewish communal and spiritual life across generations.
We discuss working in the knesset, creating change at this difficult time, and the power of bringing together diverse groups of women. We talk about clarity of mission, giving a voice to those who don't have one, finding leadership in unexpected places and the vital aguna legislation Aliza passed that impacted my work at the Bet Din so much.
It's a broad conversation that bounces from prayer to politics to chessed, united by Aliza's vision of bringing back our collective knowledge to create tools for the present.
Aliza's website collecting women's prayers can be found at: tfilatnashim.com
Her book, Iconic Jewish Women, can be purchased on Amazon.
This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/learning to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you.
 
NEW! Talk to us at [email protected] and tell us who you'd like to hear interviewed.

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 puts her children firmly first yet still manages, as she puts it, "to do a couple of other things."
 
Our conversation flies from spirituality to imposter syndrome to Trump and Israel to achdut in Cleveland to raising a family, with the super-relatable Michele calmly explaining her roles and views in it all, making it look almost easy.
 
This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk/learning to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you.
 
NEW! Talk to us at [email protected] and tell us who you'd like to hear interviewed.