Pop Culture

Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford in The Way We Were

In 'The Way We Were,' The Political is Personal

Sarah Jae Leiber

The Way We Were might be an old film, but it couldn't be more relevant to today’s divided world.

Topics: Film
Miriam Anzovin posing with ring light.

Interview With Talmudic TikToker Miriam Anzovin

Dina Adelsky

JWA talks to Miriam Anzovin about leaving behind Orthodox practice, misogyny on social media and IRL, and of course, her viral Daf Reactions TikTok videos.

Collage with Image of Alix Kates Shulman at Miss America Protest at "Freedom Trash Can"

Protest Social Media's Beauty Standards in the Name of the Freedom Trash Can

Mallie Lifsitz

It’s undeniable that our current beauty standards are unattainable. I think that contemporary activists can learn from Alix Kates Shulman’s approach to this issue.

Topics: Feminism, Protests, Media
Rachel Brosnahan accept flowers from a man.

I’m Tired of Trying to Root for Midge Maisel

Sarah Jae Leiber

Over and over, Midge hurts people who trusted her, and the show lets her get away with it.

Topics: Television, Comedy
Raven Schwam-Curtis TikTok Still #2

How I Make Black Jews Visible Through the Magic of TikTok

Raven Schwam-Curtis

My TikToks educate, validate, and celebrate Black Jewish identity.

Therese Shechter stands in front of a bunch of strollers in My So-Called Selfish Life

Childfree, with No Regrets and No Apologies

Dr. Helene Meyers

Full of insights from experts and the joyously childfree, this film expands our understanding of reproductive justice.

Still from bat mitzvah scene of And Just Like That...Includes Charlotte, her husband, children, and officiating rabbi

How 'And Just Like That…' Reflects Bat Mitzvah History

Judith Rosenbaum

In its season finale, And Just Like That...captures how the bat mitzvah has evolved over the last century. 

Collage of Images of Bobbie Rosenfeld and of Elle Rosenfeld's Crew Team

Bobbie Rosenfeld and Me: Athletic By Chance, Inspirational By Choice

Elle Rosenfeld

As an athletic Jewish feminist, is attacking an uncomfortable situation assertively, but quietly, an effective protest technique?

Topics: Feminism, Athletes, Media
Asude Kalebek as Rasel in Kulup

Missed Kulüp When It Came Out? You Can Now Binge the Whole Delicious Series.

Mirushe "Mira" Zylali

The show depicts Sephardic women in all their messy complexity. But when it comes to Turkey’s oppressed minorities, it could dig deeper.

Image of Star of David Necklace Over Star of David Background

How My Star of David Necklace Helped Me Understand My Jewish Identity

Sofia Isaias-Day

The Star of David and its history helps me understand the different layers of my Jewish identity; the symbol represents the different cultures we’ve embraced as part of the diaspora.

Helene Hines on her handcycle

This Year, Resolve to Be More like This Badass Woman

Madisen Siegel

Whenever she heard ‘no,’ Helene Hines pushed back—and proved everyone wrong.

Illeana Douglas as Denise Waverly in Grace of My Heart

You Probably Missed This Film When It Came out 25 Years Ago. Don’t Let That Happen Again.

Sarah Jae Leiber

This holiday season, skip the blockbusters and watch Grace Of My Heart instead.

Libby Stein-Torres from The Ghost and Molly McGee

Libby Stein-Torres joins a growing pantheon of Jewish female cartoon characters

Ariel Finkle

The Ghost and Molly McGee is about to air a Hanukkah episode, and I’m kvelling.

Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp and Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones

FX’s Impeachment: A Study in Caricature and Misogyny

Sarah Jae Leiber

By putting some of the show’s female stars in prosthetics, FX’s Impeachment is guilty of the same misogynistic behavior for which it faults the media.

Molly Yeh and Marissa Wojcik

How a Celebrity Chef Helped Me Connect with My Mixed Heritage

Marissa Wojcik

Celebrity chef Molly Yeh inspired me to share my Jewish fusion recipes with the world.

Collage of Torah, Jade Chai Necklace, and Image of Amanda Xinhui Malnik

My Necklace is a Symbol of My Jewish-Chinese Feminist Identity

Amanda Xinhui Malnik

My jade chai necklace has become my most prized possession as a Jewish-Chinese feminist.

Photo of Mirushe Zylali in her handmade entari

Reinventing Fashion: What’s Old Is New Again

Mirushe "Mira" Zylali

Fashioning my own dress in a traditional Ottoman style helped me reclaim my multilayered roots.

Collage with Three Women in Underwear; Background of Squares overlayed with underwear

Commercial Femininity: A Jewish Reckoning with Victoria's Secret's Legacy

Goldi Lieberperson

Growing up, Victoria's Secret models represented my default (and only) view of femininity and what it means to be an adult woman.

"Survivor" Collage by Judy Goldstein

"Outwit, Outplay, Outlast": Where are the Jewish Women on "Survivor"?

Judy Goldstein

Out of 20 Jewish Survivor contestants, only six have been women.

Topics: Television
Diesel La Torraca as Austin, Brianne Howey as Georgia, and Antonia Gentry as Ginny in Ginny & Georgia

"Ginny and Georgia": A Jewish Feminist Take

Rose Clubok

Ginny and Georgia raised significant questions for me as a Jewish feminist. Given its recent renewal for a second season, I think these questions are worth engaging.

Background of Figures in Profile; Figure with Megaphone in Forefront

Lessons From Andrea Dworkin: On Creating the Feminist Movement We Need

Lily Pazner

Dworkin didn’t try to make feminism trendy or more appealing; instead, her contributions were biting, radical, and definitely controversial.

Hadley Robinson as Vivian in "Moxie"

"Moxie" Is More than Fiction

Larisa Klebe

Moxie illustrates what life is like for teenage girls in America.

Topics: Feminism, Film
Kathryn Hahn as Rabbi Raquel in "Transparent"

Rabbi Raquel Has a Place in the “Hahnaissance”

Sarah Jae Leiber

Let's not forget Kathryn Hahn's most Jewish performance: Rabbi Raquel in Transparent.

Topics: Television
Gilda Radner as Roseanne Roseannadanna Cropped

Laughing and Crying: The Compassionate Humor of Gilda Radner

Jessie Schwalb

Gilda Radner demonstrated that sharing one’s struggles publicly through humor can be a powerful act.

Topics: Comedy, Writing
Gerda Lerner with TikTok Logo Background

What if Gerda Lerner Were on TikTok?

Lana Klein

If Gerda Lerner were alive today, I think she’d use TikTok to educate its millions of users about women’s history.

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