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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.
2019-20 Rising Voices Fellow Madeline Canfield's Notebook

My Worn and Faded Yellow Notebook, a Living Record

Madeline Canfield

In my notebook, I recount anecdotes that bear the mark of the past I am reckoning with today.

Photo of Woman at the Beach

Spirituality, Self-Care, and the Fight for Justice

Ellanora Lerner

To see everything as holy, to be amazed by the simple, beautiful things in the world, not only brings me happiness; it also inspires me to fight for justice.

Since Parkland Website Image

"Since Parkland": Writing the Stories of Youth Victims of Gun Violence

Ellie Klibaner-Schiff

With "Since Parkland," I tried to celebrate other kids' lives and acknowledge the failures that ended them.

Photo of Rising Voices Fellow Maddy Pollack's Grandmother Linda Pollack

Stories from My Bubbe

Maddy Pollack

Every time she speaks, it’s as if my grandmother, my bubbe, is delivering an address.

Topics: Family, Religion
Illustration of Parts of the Body

Social Media “Influencers”: Start Influencing Girls to Love Ourselves

Neima Fax

Girls today are given an image of what an ideal body should look like on social media, and our introduction into womanhood and knowing our bodies is through the lens of fixing it.

Topics: Feminism, Media
Blank Journal with pen.

Finding My Words Through Writing During Coronavirus

Ilana Drake

Because my life has virtually become virtual, writing is now one of my primary means of connecting.

Topics: Writing
Adam and Eve Cast from the Garden of Eden by angel

Beyond Crime and Punishment

Mica Maltzman

America’s prisons, police forces, and courts seem beyond repair. Imagine how the world might look if God hadn't jumped to punish Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. 

Topics: Voting Rights, Bible
Shoshanna Hemley Speaking at a Climate Action in Iowa City

From Singapore to Iowa: A Teen Activist on Protest and the Fight for Recognition

Shoshanna Hemley

When I brought up the idea of a protest, teachers and peers alike scoffed at first. I was living in Singapore, where protesting was illegal.

Collage by Lila Goldstein

Collaging in Quarantine

Lila Goldstein

Collaging is an old hobby of mine that has taken on new value during this pandemic.

Topics: Art, Crafts
"Lady Lilith" by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1866.

My Many Moms Are My Matriarchs

Sasha Azizi Rosenfeld

Matriarchal leadership is often portrayed negatively, like in the story of Lilith. My moms have proven to me that we need more of it.

Justice Scale

On Individuals, Ethical Leaders, and the Pursuit of Justice

Maddy Pollack

In Austin, lack of housing is a huge, persistent issue. It's not only up to us to choose ethical leaders; we must act individually to fight injustice as well.

Rising Voices Fellow Lilah Peck with her sister Adina

"Lech Lecha": My Sister’s Journey from Charlotte to Jerusalem

Lilah Peck

My sister went to seminary in Jerusalem after graduating high school, both geographically and symbolically far from her Charlotte roots.

Family members gathered around baby sitting in a chair

My Aunt Tiki and My Disability Rights Activism

Dahlia Soussan

My Aunt Tiki inspires my disability rights activism; yet sometimes, I fail to speak up.

Close up image of a cow

Progressive vs. Passive: Why Being Uninformed is the Last Straw

Hannah Landau

It’s our responsibility to be informed consumers; livestock are responsible for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Topics: Activism, Food
Black Lives Matter Poster on wall

A Message to Fellow White Jews

Belle Gage

The bottom line is that as white Jews, we can (and do) perpetuate racism and benefit from white privilege.

Topics: Activism, Protests
School cafeteria

A Seat at the Table: Advocating in My Modern Orthodox School

Neima Fax

For the rest of the shabbaton, I wanted to walk up to the teacher and let him know how bothered I was by what had happened. But the shabbaton ended, and I didn’t talk to him. 

Small Shabbat candles

Grounding in Ritual: Shabbat During Coronavirus

Isabel Hoffman

Even after the hardest, most boring, or most heart-wrenching weeks, Shabbat is calmly awaiting me at the end.

Jerusalem by Efrat Shvili

When Someone Mentions Israel

Ellanora Lerner

For years, these two views of Israel felt like an unquestionable binary to me, and I didn't know where I stood.

Topics: Israel, Palestine
Rising Voices Fellow Mica Maltzman with Her Temple Youth Group

My Place at the Synagogue Board's Table

Mica Maltzman

As president of the youth group, I was a full-fledged member of my synagogue’s board. The chair had no power to evict me from the room.

"Courage" Spelled in Felt Letters

Gathering the Energy to Fight: Redefining Moral Courage

Eleanor Harris

In my view, moral courage isn’t really about courage; it’s about gathering up the energy to fight. This looks different for every person.

Topics: Activism
Chemistry beakers with colorful liquid

The Power of My Voice: Combatting Insensitivity in My High School

Ellie Klibaner-Schiff

I think I hesitated to counter my classmate’s offensive comment because I didn’t want to be perceived as overdramatic. 

Topics: Schools, Science
Elizabeth Warren on stage in a purple suit, microphone in hand.

A Thank-You Note to Smart Women

Ella Plotkin-Oren

I'm writing this note with a hopeful but heavy heart. In March 2020, I voted for the first time. I believed that this would be a tremendous year for women. 

Teen Sitting on Steps of a Monument

A New Yorker Teen on Coronavirus, Homelessness in the City

Ilana Drake

I hear other teenagers throw around comments about getting rid of “these people.” Thousands of teenagers in New York City are homeless or facing food insecurity.

Topics: Activism
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Hanukkiah in front.

Courage in the Face of Rising Antisemitism in Europe

Lila Goldstein

The religious pride I saw among Jewish groups in Paris and Berlin inspires me to show courage through community.

Topics: Antisemitism
Protester Holding Sign, "There is No Planet B."

Recollections of a Relentless Teen Climate Activist

Madeline Canfield

Our group of youth climate activists clings to the conviction that our activism ceases for nothing. Really, we’re ride or die.

Topics: Activism

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Rising Voices Blog Posts." (Viewed on March 28, 2024) <http://jwa.org/blog/risingvoices>.