Women's Gallery: Showcasing Women in Jewish Leadership

For generations, mikvah has been one of the most central institutions of Jewish life. But for many women, it has also remained deeply private, rarely discussed openly and often understood primarily in terms of obligation. What might change if we thought about mikvah not only as a halachic practice, but as a source of spirituality, self-awareness, connection, and renewal?
In this episode of Women's Gallery, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Dr. Naomi Marmon Grumet, founder and director of the Eden Center in Jerusalem, about reimagining the place of mikvah in the lives of Jewish women. Beginning with the centuries-old custom of women immersing before Yom Kippur, they explore mikvah as an embodied form of spiritual preparation and a powerful opportunity to think about who we are and who we hope to become in the year ahead.
Their conversation moves into some of the most sensitive questions surrounding mikvah today: the role of mikvah attendants, autonomy and trauma, sexuality and relationships, women's halachic knowledge and authority, and whether our emphasis on privacy has sometimes created unnecessary secrecy and shame.
It's a wide-ranging conversation about tradition, women's bodies, spiritual renewal, and what it might mean for women to take greater ownership of one of Judaism's most intimate rituals.
Partake in the ancient custom of women's immersion on erev Yom Kippur. This helpful infographic from The Eden Center can guide you. It's also a wonderful time to introduce girls to mikveh in a spiritual context, without the overtones of relationship.

What does it mean to build a Jewish community where secular and religious, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, right and left can all find a place?
In this deeply moving conversation, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, founder of Kehilat Zion in Jerusalem and a leading voice for Jewish spiritual and communal renewal. Drawing on the faith of her Moroccan and Ashkenazi grandparents, Tamar describes a vision of Judaism that reaches beyond denominational labels and asks Jews to rediscover one another as a people.
Together, Jo and Tamar explore the challenge of creating new Jewish ritual after October 7, the spiritual needs of a younger generation, the tension between pluralism and extremism, and what Rosh Hashanah can teach us about judgment, happiness, responsibility, and hope. Tamar also reflects on her path as a female religious leader and her dream of a future in which women no longer need to justify why their voices belong in Jewish leadership.
At a moment of profound pain and division, this is a conversation about tradition that remains alive, leadership rooted in responsibility, and the possibility of rebuilding a Jewish people capable of seeing, hearing, and healing one another.

For years, women in Israel could study halakha at the highest levels, teach Torah, and answer complex religious questions, yet they were barred from taking the state rabbinical examinations open to men. Rabbi Sarah Segal-Katz helped lead the landmark legal battle that finally changed that.
In this episode of Women's Gallery, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Sarah about her journey into Torah scholarship, the long struggle to open Israel's rabbinical exams to women, and why access to religious knowledge and authority matters far beyond titles or recognition. They also explore the evolving place of women in Orthodox leadership, the relationship between feminism, halakha, and the State of Israel, Sarah's work creating religious language in response to October 7, and her hope for a future in which women serving as rabbis and religious authorities is no longer remarkable, but simply normal.

Conversion to Judaism is often misunderstood, both by those considering it and by the communities that receive them. In this episode, Netta Asner-Minster shares what she has learned from guiding hundreds of prospective converts, explains the realities of the Orthodox conversion process, and challenges common assumptions about "pushing converts away." Together with Joanne Greenaway, she explores how greater openness, education, and compassion can strengthen the Jewish future.

Dr. Guila Benchimol never expected to leave Jewish education for a career in criminology. Yet her journey led her to become one of the Jewish world's leading voices on abuse prevention, safeguarding, restorative justice, and institutional accountability. In this thoughtful and often challenging conversation, she reflects on what first drew her to this work, why abuse is never simply the result of one individual, and how communities can create cultures that are both safer and more compassionate. Joanne and Guila explore the lasting impact of the MeToo movement, the responsibilities of faith communities, the promise of restorative justice, and why genuine leadership requires the courage to confront uncomfortable truths while never losing love for the community itself.