Helene, queen of the Persian province of Adiabene, earned the respect of both the early rabbis and the chronicler Josephus for her leadership and unusual piety.

Eve Ensler’s massively successful play The Vagina Monologues gave her a platform to launch V-Day, a campaign to end violence against women and girls.

A spy for the Nili ring, Sarah Aaronsohn fought to free Palestine from Turkish rule and withstood torture for her ideals.

Lina Abarbanell’s expressive voice inspired more than one light opera, but even after she retired from the stage, her talent for casting and directing other performers shaped powerful performances like the world tour of Porgy and Bess.

Rosalie Silberman Abella’s early experiences as a refugee fueled her dedication to justice and led her to become the first Jewish woman elected to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The first woman to serve on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Ruth Abrams upheld the rights of women and minorities throughout her career.

As the first female executive editor of the New York Times from 2011–2014, Jill Abramson fought to change the newspaper’s culture, mentoring female reporters, choosing female bureau chiefs and focusing more attention on stories about race and gender issues.

A formidable leader of the women’s movement, Bella Abzug fought to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and other vital legislation for the rights of women. During her three terms in Congress, she advocated for groundbreaking bills including the Equal Rights Amendment and crucial support of Title IX.

After the death of her rabbi husband, Paula Ackerman took over leadership of their congregation with the enthusiastic support of her community.

Celia Adler won acclaim and success in the Yiddish theater world as a founding member of the Jewish Art Theater.

As a theologian, a committed Jew, and a pioneer of the Jewish feminist movement, Rachel Adler challenged her religion from within.

In her powerful performances of plays ranging from Shakespeare’s tragedies to A Doll’s House, Sara Adler helped elevate the possibilities of Yiddish theater.

As an actress and a teacher, Stella Adler transformed a generation of American actors though her understanding of Method acting.

Nima Adlerblum’s scholarship and Zionist activism helped shape worldwide perspectives about the land where she was born.

In her short life, Grace Aguilar wrote twice as many books as Jane Austen, from popular historical romances to an introduction to Judaism that was used by both churches and synagogues.

French actress Anouk Aimée captivated audiences in films from Fellini’s La Dolce Vita in 1960 to Altman’s Prêt à Porter in 1994.

Fay Ajzenberg-Selove not only made significant contributions to physics, she made huge strides for women by demanding she be judged on her merits, not her gender.

Yelena Akhtiorskaya transmuted her own family’s immigrant experience into her ambitious debut novel, Panic in a Suitcase.

In her fifty-years as one of Israel’s most celebrated singer/songwriters, Chava Alberstein has run the gamut from recording pop hits to reviving Yiddish classics.