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Rising Voices Blog Posts

Rising Voices

Learn more about the Rising Voices Fellowship, JWA's thought-leadership program for young Jewish women and non-binary teens.
Animal drawings by Liana Finck on orange gradient background

Making Space

Judy Ruden

In Liana Finck's exploration of the kabbalistic concept of Tsimtsum, the idea of God's contraction as a means of creation, I find the beginnings of a Jewish feminist future. 

Black line drawings of moon and stars on a background of red and pink waves

Bringing Jewish Feminism to Youth Programming

Miriam Stodolsky

We need programs that integrate vibrant Jewish feminism into all youth spaces.

 

Black and white collage of clothing items and hangers

To Reveal or Not To Reveal: Modesty, Jewish Feminism, and the Male Gaze

Ava Weinstein

Recently, I’ve embarked on a mission to dress how I want, when I want.

Collage of Fran Fine and Janice Litman-Goralnik on pink striped background

Celebrating the Jewish Women of The Nanny and Friends

Ava Weinstein

In Janice from Friends and Fran from The Nanny, I see some of myself—a chatty Jewish woman with curls and a loud laugh—and I never found Janice annoying, or saw Fran as anything less than who she is: funny, beautiful, independent.

Collage of Alexa and Brennon Lemieux from Netflix's Love is Blind on purple patterned background

Celebrating An Inter-religious Couple on Love Is Blind

Sonia Freedman

Although I was somewhat unimpressed by Love Is Blind’s surface-level coverage of inter-religious relationships, it was beautiful to watch the Lemieux fall in love despite their very different backgrounds.

Collage of Lily James in The Exception on purple patterned background

The Exception's Antisemitism Is, Unfortunately, Not An Exception

Olivia Gnad

Between using atrocities as a way to create romantic drama and its rush to excuse antisemitism, The Exception is a movie that never should have left the writer's room.

Line drawings of a book and pens on light blue background

Interpreting The Sun Also Rises

Maya Viswanathan

Reading The Sun Also Rises was the first time I encountered depictions of antisemitism as an almost normal part of conversation and interaction. I didn’t know how to react to it.

Collage of Milla Jovavitch in The Fifth Element on a blue sparkling background

Finding Tzniut in The Fifth Element's Futurist Costumes

Noa Karidi

The film The Fifth Element creates an aspirational society in which a woman does not feel exposed or sexualized because of what she wears. I want that for all of us. 

Collage of Miriam Ezagui over drawing of smartphone and hand on green background

Finding Jewish Empowerment on TikTok

Rosie Yanowitch

After Kanye West's latest antisemitic spiral, I searched Tiktok, hoping to seek solitude and comfort in Jewish creators succeeding at sharing their Jewish identity in ways that felt authentic, candid, and personal.

Collage of character from Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse on gold background

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse Taught Me the Importance of Teshuvah

Clara Sorkin

When I thought about where I learned how to make amends, I realized it wasn't just from Hebrew school or from my family. It was, instead, one of my most-read books from childhood: Kevin Henkes’ Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.

Collage of line drawing of a crowd of women on a deep purple background

Reclaiming "Like a Girl"

Adina Gerwin

I had to ask the question a 2015 Always ad poses: "why would I let ‘like a girl’ stop me?" Acting like a girl works, and is not something I need to be ashamed of.

Collage of Julia Haart and a megillah scroll on an orange gradient background

Julia Haart: The Anti-Esther

Aviva Schilowitz

Queen Esther used her power to save and lift up other Jews. That’s my version of Jewish power and feminism. But Julia Haart, the star of My Unorthodox Life, uses her power as a weapon against other Jews.

Cartoon roll of film with a menorah on light pink background

Spiritual Jewish Representation on Film: Next Year’s Hanukkah Gift?

Samantha Berk

Watching the Hallmark movie Eight Gifts of Hanukkah, I felt like I could relate spiritually to a Jewish character portrayed in mainstream media for the first time. 

Black line drawing of cursor clicking YouTube logo on a white background

I Love LeftTube. But Where Are The Jews?

Miriam Stodolsky

Leftist videos on YouTube were key ingredients in developing my political outlook, but there is a palpable lack of any Jewish voices.

Topics: Socialism, Film, Activism
Collage of characters from TV show Bumper in Berlin on pink gradient background

The Pitch Perfect TV Spin-Off Offers Lots of Bumper And Little Feminism

Miriam Niestat

The first episode’s failure to pass the Bechdel Test was my first hint that Bumper in Berlin would not be the continuation of the Pitch Perfect movies I expected. 

Collage of Judy Blume on dark blue checkered background

Opposing Book Bans with Judy Blume

Sonia Freedman

Having the option to read Blume’s book about growing up as a girl did not necessarily change my view on womanhood, but taking away a comforting story that offers reassurance about a girls’ preteen years is disappointing and ridiculous.

Collage of Clara Lemlich on blue background

Slowing Down Fast Fashion: Lessons from Clara Lemlich

Clara Sorkin

Clara Lemlich, the female garment workers she led in striking, and the women who have come after her prove that strength truly comes in numbers and in unity.

Collage of Susan Weidman Schneider on green and white checkered background

Like Lilith, Re-channeling My Anger

Noa Karidi

Rather than reacting from a place of anger, the LGBTQIA+ community needs to follow the example of Weidman Schneider to use education in order to change the perception of this bill and of the community

Collage of Cass Elliot and Rabbi Minna Bromberg on white and yellow checkered background

Unearthing the Fat Underground

Judy Ruden

All Jewish bodies are important, no matter what they do or don’t look like. We have to care for each other in a way that makes every single body feel included.

Collage of Bertha Pappenheim on orange and white background

Bertha Pappenheim and My Great Great Grandmother

Aviva Schilowitz

Bertha Pappenheim and Oma Irene’s work still feels essential today. We still are working to help people in the Jewish community who many would prefer to pretend don’t exist.

Collage of Rachel Sassoon Beer on black and white background

Reporting the Truth with Rachel Sassoon Beer

Samantha Berk

In her own way, in her own time, Rachel Sassoon Beer fought against misinformation. She’s a role model for modern feminists as well as for that little girl who yearned to hold the pages of the newspaper just right.

Collage of band Sleater-Kinney on red background

Get Angry: Carrie Brownstein and the Legacy of Riot Grrrl

Ava Weinstein

Judaism’s core teachings of tikkun olam, social justice, and equality are what the riot grrrl movement was all about. Sleater-Kinney is no different.

Topics: Music, Feminism, Protests
Collage of Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Rebecca Gratz, and Emma Goldman on patterned purple background

Fighting for Abortion Rights with My Jewish Feminist Heroes

Leila Nuri

Following in the footsteps of Jewish feminists before us, I think educating others to stop the spread of misinformation, accentuating voices that need to be heard, and acknowledging your own privilege is deeply necessary in this fight.

Collage of Gertrude Goldhaber on pink background

Women in STEM: Gertrude Goldhaber and Me

Maya Viswanathan

Just as Dr. Goldhaber wanted to personally encourage others to study science and math, I too, try to personally invite others in the hope of creating a more fun and welcoming environment. 

Collage of Lani Guinier on light purple background

The Fight for Democratic Merit in College Admissions

Sam Mezrich

Current affirmative action activists can learn from Lani Guinier: she supported affirmative action, but she also supported reforming it.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Rising Voices Blog Posts." (Viewed on March 19, 2024) <http://jwa.org/blog/risingvoices>.