Article Authors

Esther Altmann, Ph.D., is the Director of Pastoral Training at Yeshivat Maharat and a psychologist in private practice. She specializes in the treatment of adolescents, families, and eating disorders.

Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich is the editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society, as well as the author of three books and over a hundred articles. Her first book, The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria, was published in 2016, and her second book, Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped

Alyza D. Lewin is president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (“Brandeis Center”) and a founder and partner of Lewin & Lewin, LLP. The Brandeis Center is not affiliated with the Massachusetts university, the Kentucky law school, or any of the other institutions that share the name and honor the

Israeli American Gila Romanoff is the teen and community program manager at JQY, a nonprofit mental health organization supporting LGBTQ Jewish youth, with a special focus on teens and young adults from Orthodox, Hasidic and Sephardi/Mizrahi communities.

Shira Atik is a poet and Hebrew-English literary translator. Her work has been published in the Ekphrastic Review, Midwest Quarterly, Passengers, Poetica Magazine, Zeek Magazine, and the Jewish Literary Journal.

After a career in global business development, Lisa Sayegh is now dedicating her time to supporting Israel in various ways.

Captain Roni Raffeld-Bluth lives in Tzofim with her husband, Pitzi, and their three children. Since October 7th, she set aside her position as a technical project manager and has actively engaged in the war effort.

Rebecca Raush graduated from Rutgers University in 2024 with a major in English and a minor in international and global studies. She is an Avodah Jewish Service Corps Fellow and is working as a Domestic Violence Program Assistant at the Southeast Louisiana Legal Services.

Eliana Goldin is a senior at Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, studying political theory and Talmud. She is co-chair of the Zionist group on campus Aryeh, the host of her own podcast The Uproar, and a co-author of “In Our Name: A Message From Jewish Students at Columbia University.”

Amanda Silberstein is a member of the Cornell University class of 2026. She studied at Bar-Ilan University in Israel for a year after her high school graduation. At Cornell, she serves as the Vice President of both Cornellians for Israel and Chabad.