The spring and summer months were filled with meaningful learning, bold advocacy, and expanding community engagement for Jofa. We are also marking an exciting milestone with the release of the first-ever digitally available Jofa Journal, making our thought leadership and Torah scholarship more accessible than ever before. From rich scholarly sessions on halakhah and gender equity for our Jofa at Home participants to standing alongside dozens of faith organizations in a landmark legal case, Jofa continues to lead with purpose.
Jofa at Home: Women and Time-Bound Mitzvot
On June 4, Jofa at Home participants from around the world gathered for a Zoom session led by our inaugural Jofa Scholar, Rabbanit Goldie Guy. Rabbanit Goldie was ordained by Yeshivat Maharat in 2017 and is a passionate educator based in Chicago, where she serves on the Rabbinics faculty at Hebrew Seminary, teaches for the Jewish Learning Collaborative, and is a beloved presence across the Chicagoland Jewish community. She has previously served as Director of Hadar Chicago and Director of Religious Engagement at Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Jofa team.
The topic of the June session, “Women and Time-Bound Mitzvot,” opened a rigorous and timely conversation about gender equity in Jewish law. Drawing on Rav Soloveitchik’s teaching that men and women hold equal status in halakhah with both created in God’s image, both present at Sinai, and both in dialogue with God, the session explored the Talmudic debate over whether women may voluntarily perform mitzvot from which they are exempt. A key halakhic principle emerged: the Rif’s ruling (Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi, Northern Africa (1013-1103)) that when communities voluntarily adopt a practice, it becomes obligatory. This provides a powerful precedent for women’s voluntary observance, such as counting the omer, to take on binding communal status in the future. Our Jofa at Home participants went on to teach this topic in their home communities, expanding the circle of Jofa Torah.
Jofa at Home class over Zoom
Our July session explored a foundational question: Are women obligated in Kiddush and can they make it for others? The answer, rooted in the rabbinic teaching that shamor and zakhor were uttered simultaneously at Sinai, is a clear “yes”: anyone obligated in shamor is equally obligated in zakhor. The Shulḥan Arukh is explicit that women have a biblical obligation in Friday night Kiddush on par with men, and the Pri Megadim (Rabbi Yosef Teomim, Eastern Europe (1727-92)) extends this principle: “In all matters of Shabbat, men and women are equal, even in rabbinic matters.” The class also tackled a nuanced scenario: When a man fulfills his obligation for Kiddush in shul, a woman at home who hasn’t yet heard Kiddush not only may make it herself; she arguably should. The session closed with a question from a participant in Leipzig about women making hamotzi, a reminder that these halakhic conversations are unfolding in communities from Copenhagen to New Jersey.
Jofa at Home exists to give lay people the grounding to bring these conversations and practices into their own communities.
Advocacy in Action: SRE Network Convening
Jofa Interim Executive Director Dr. Mindy Feldman Hecht represented Jofa at the SRE Network Convening in New York City on June 15 – 16, dedicated to building safer, more equitable Jewish communal spaces through education and cultural change. The conference addressed harassment, pay inequity, and the persistent gap in women’s leadership. SRE Network cast a clear vision for 2030: communities led by professionals and lay leaders who reflect their constituencies, pay equity as a norm, accountability structures when harm occurs, and policies that genuinely support family well-being.
Aimee Baron, Founder and
Executive Director of I Was
Supposed to Have a Baby, at the
SRE Network Convening
Dr. Mindy Feldman Hecht
with Rachel Gildener, Executive
Director of SRE Network,
at the SRE Network
Convening
Jofa was a visible presence at the conference, distributing the Jofa Journal, meeting with partners in the field, and affirming our organizational commitment to women’s safety, visibility, and equity in Jewish communal life.
Signing the Brief: Reproductive Rights and Religious Freedom
In June, Jofa joined 39 other faith organizations as a signatory on an amicus brief filed with the Indiana Supreme Court, challenging Indiana’s abortion ban. The brief makes a clear and principled argument: The ban violates religious freedom. Under Jewish law, abortion is not only permitted in some circumstances, but is sometimes required. Any law that prevents Jews from following halakhic guidance infringes on our religious liberty.
Oral arguments are scheduled for September 10, 2026. Jofa is proud to stand with this coalition in defense of both reproductive rights and the freedom to practice one’s faith.
Jofa Board Retreat
In July, Jofa’s leadership, board members, and partners came together for a strategic planning retreat to reflect on where Jofa is making the greatest impact, identify opportunities for growth, and imagine how we can continue meeting the evolving needs of the Orthodox community. These thoughtful conversations help ensure that Jofa remains responsive, mission-driven, and rooted in the voices of our community. We are grateful to everyone who shared their perspectives, and we look forward to sharing updates as these ideas develop into new programs, resources, and opportunities to engage with Jofa.
Webinar Recap: Women in Leadership
Jofa welcomed a strong turnout for our recent webinar, Women in Leadership: Where Does the Orthodox Community Stand Today? Dr. Mindy Feldman Hecht and Mark Trencher, founder of Nishma Research, explored new data from Nishma Research on attitudes toward women in leadership across the Orthodox community. They discussed emerging trends and considered what the findings may mean for the future of Orthodox communal, educational, and organizational leadership. We are grateful to everyone who joined us for this thoughtful and engaging conversation. You can watch the full conversation at Jofa.org and access the research report at nishmaresearch.com
New Initiative: Women in Shul Leadership
We are excitedly working on a new initiative called Jofa’s Women in Shul Lay Leadership Project. This undertaking is a first-of-its-kind peer community initiative that combines learning, connection, and practical support. The goal is to support, connect and increase the number of women in synagogue lay leadership roles. We are actively seeking community members who want to get involved and help us build this project from the ground up. If you are a lay leader interested in participating or learning more, please reach out to our Program Manager, Jordana Fichtenbaum, at jordana@jofa.org.
Resource Spotlight: The Ezrat Nashim Database
Planning summer travel? Jofa has partnered with the Ezrat Nashim Database, a resource that helps people find synagogues with equitable women’s sections. The database tracks women’s section size and sightlines across communities worldwide, as well as whether and how shuls allow women to say kaddish. Whether you’re visiting family or exploring somewhere new this summer, the Ezrat Nashim Database makes it easy to find and contribute information about synagogues that meet your standards. You can access this great resource as part of our updated Feminist Community Toolkit: https://www.jofa.org/resource/feminist-community-toolkit/
Check it out before your next trip!
Community and Partner Highlights
Jofa congratulates the Yeshivat Maharat graduating class of 2026. Each graduating class adds to the growing field of learned, ordained women leaders in Orthodox and traditional Jewish communities. We are proud to celebrate their achievements. We also want to wish a mazal tov to longtime Jofa supporters Ann and Jeremy Pava on their well-deserved honor and recognition from Yeshivat Maharat.
This year’s graduation comes amid continued developments in Israel, where three Orthodox Jewish women participated in a high-level religious examination process within established Orthodox certification and rabbinic frameworks. Their experience has drawn both attention and debate, highlighting not only expanding opportunities for advanced Torah study for women, but also broader questions raised by community members and institutions about standards, transparency, and how women’s religious expertise is formally recognized. Together, these moments reflect a dynamic and evolving conversation around women’s scholarship and leadership in Orthodoxy, in Israel and around the world.
Grants Received
We are pleased to share that Jofa has received a general operating grant from Micah Philanthropies, Ann and Jeremy Pava, Trustees, as well as a grant from Elluminate. We are also grateful for a generous SRE Network Microgrant supporting our ongoing work to digitize nearly 30 years of the Jofa Journal archive.
Jofa Selected for Third Plateau’s Organizational Health Assessment Pilot
We are thrilled to share that Jofa has been selected to join Third Plateau’s Organizational Health Assessment pilot program, a select cohort of growth stage, gender-based nonprofits. Over the coming weeks, we will complete a structured organizational health assessment and take part in two guided sessions with Third Plateau’s team of experts to reflect on our strengths, identify areas of growth, and shape practical next steps as we continue building out our leadership and infrastructure. Stay tuned for updates as we move through the process this summer and fall.
Recommended Listening
We are delighted to spotlight Rabba Aliza Libman Baronofsky’s new podcast, “Mishna Accomplished.” Rabba Aliza studies two mishnayot per episode, documenting her journey through all six orders of Mishna alongside her children in preparation for their b’nai mitzvah. It is joyful, serious, and deeply personal Jewish learning. Find it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Support Jofa
Everything that Jofa does, from convening scholars and attending national conferences to signing legal briefs and launching new community initiatives, is made possible by the generosity of our supporters. Every donation to Jofa above $54 comes with a thank you gift. Give at the level that’s right for you.
By joining the Jofa Ambassadors Circle with a gift of $5,000 or more, you become a key partner in advancing women’s voices, leadership, and opportunities within Orthodox Jewish life. Ambassadors receive exclusive learning opportunities, complimentary copies of Hilkhot Nashim Volumes 1 and 2, a hosted Jofa program in their home community, opportunities to connect with Jofa partners, early access to emerging digital tools, and recognition on the Jofa website.
Consider making a gift today and helping shape the future of Orthodox Jewish life: https://www.jofa.org/donate/
