Jofa International Conference on Feminism and Orthodoxy

Date: May 4, 2025

  • Registration Opens: 9:30am 
  • Plenary Begins: 10:30am
  • Conference Ends: 5:30 pm 

Location: New York City (exact location will be provided upon registration)

 

Experience a unique gathering of individuals committed to advancing gender equity within the Orthodox Jewish community.

 

What to Expect:

The Jofa Conference is the only gathering of its kind. Whether this is your first or tenth time participating, prepare to be inspired. You’ll find yourself in an extraordinary space designed to educate, advocate, and activate, underscoring Jofa’s mission to create a more vibrant and equitable Orthodox community.

  • Inspiring Dialogue: Engage in open and thoughtful discussions on critical issues facing Orthodox women, including leadership roles, religious practice, gender equity, and the intersection of Jewish identity with contemporary social justice concerns.
  • Diverse Perspectives: Explore a range of topics, including:
    • Leadership & Advocacy: Learn from expert speakers and participate in workshops on grassroots organizing, leadership development, and advocacy strategies.
    • Social Justice: Address critical issues such as reproductive freedom, gender equity issues in Israel related to the war, as well as the rise of antisemitism across the country and around the world.
    • Community Building: Connect with like-minded individuals, build meaningful relationships, and discover opportunities to collaborate on projects within your community.
  • Skill-Building: Acquire valuable skills and knowledge through engaging workshops on text-based learning, community organizing, and advocacy techniques.
  • Action-Oriented: Leave the conference empowered to implement concrete changes within your community, whether it’s advocating for women’s tefillah, promoting equitable learning environments, or addressing global challenges.

Who Should Attend:

Individuals of all ages (middle school and above) interested in advancing gender equity within the Orthodox Jewish community.

 

Join us for a day of learning, networking, and inspiration. Note: If you require financial assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at conference2025@jofa.org.

 

Are you interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor at this year’s conference? Visit our Sponsorship Information page for more information.

Conference Speakers

Learn more about this year’s conference speakers below. We’ll be adding more information here as speakers continue to be confirmed.

Stacey Aviva Flint is a public speaker, writer, educator, and Urban Planner. Currently, Stacey Aviva serves as the Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) on the JEDI team (Jewish Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion). As a Jewish woman of color, combating racism and antisemitism are central to her work. Stacey Aviva’s mission is “shalom bein adam lechavero,” translated from Hebrew as “bringing peace between a man and his fellow.” To this end, she has dedicated her 20+ year career to community economic development and Jewish social justice and education.

 

Stacey Aviva has a BA in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati, a master of Urban Planning and Public Policy for UIC (CHICAGO), certificates from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership/Northwestern School of Professional Studies in Jewish Leadership and adult Jewish Learning (Spertus Institute) and is currently a candidate for a masters in Jewish Studies at Spertus Institute. Stacey spent over a decade specializing in urban economic development as senior director of real estate development overseeing the construction and financing of Affordable Housing, Mixed-Use Spaces, Brownfield Redevelopment, and New Market Tax Credit financing. Stacey’s Jewish professional career began as the Policy Director for Chicago’s Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA), combating racism and antisemitism and advocating for housing reform, criminal justice, immigration reform, and Jewish/African American dialogue. She has designed engagement strategies for synagogues, Jewish educational and civic institutions. She is a nationally sought speaker, and her writings have been featured in The Forward and her blog at the Times of Israel. Stacey’s Eli Talk, Kahal Amim-Many Faces, One Community, has been viewed 2,000 times.

 

Stacey Aviva serves on the board of the MOED network of Jewish Federations of North America (to promote belonging and leadership for Jews of Color), Jewish Family Service of Colorado, Jewish Life Committee member of the Rose Community Foundation, and Alliance4Israel, and is a current Executive Leadership fellow with the Mandel Institute. She nurtures two college students, and her 95-year-old grandmother.

Sylvia Barack Fishman, Ph.D., Emerita Prof. of Contemporary Jewish Life at Brandeis University, is the author of eight books and numerous articles discussing changing gender roles, Jewish identity, education, the interplay of American and Jewish values, American Jewish families, portrayals of Jews and Jewishness in fiction and film, antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and Israel Diaspora relations. She received The Marshall Sklare Award from the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry​, and the Belkin Award for Professional Achievement from Stern College. She served ​for many years on the Board of JOFA and writes frequently for the JOFA Journal. Prof. Fishman lives in Newton, MA, is married to Philip M. Fishman and is the mother of three children and ​nine grandchildren.

Karolyn Benger is a Rabbinical student at Yeshivah Maharat (2026) and former Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Phoenix. Karolyn has taught Middle East Politics at Emory University, Georgia Tech, and Emerson College. She was a board member of the Arizona Interfaith Movement, a member of the Valley Interfaith Project’s 3rd Monseigneur Ryle Public Policy Faith Leader Institute, and a mentor in the Women’s Leadership Institute. She has served on the Human Relations Commission for the city of Phoenix and Arizona Jewish Life magazine named her among the Top 10 change makers for Tikkun Olam. Her writings can be found in the Arizona Republic, eJewish Philanthropy, Blue Avocado, The Times of Israel, and RitualWell.

Neshama Carlebach is an award-winning singer, songwriter, writer, and educator who has performed and taught in cities around the world. A winner and four-time nominee in the Independent Music Awards for her most current release, Believe, and winner of the Global Music Awards Silver Award for Outstanding Performance by a female vocalist, Neshama has sold over one million records, making her one of today’s best-selling Jewish artists in the world. Neshama is currently writing a memoir and pursuing rabbinic ordination at AJR.

Rabbanit Dalia Davis serves as SVIVAH’s Director of Pastoral Education. Dalia is a Jewish educator and artist who is passionate about creating opportunities for healing and spiritual growth. She graduated from Yeshivat Maharat’s Advance Kollel, majored in Jewish History and Dance at Barnard College and studied in Israel at Nishmat. Dalia also received an M.A. in Jewish Education from Y.U. and a certificate in Talmud and Halacha from GPATS. She has served as Rosh Beit Midrash for Merkavah Women’s Torah Institute in Berkeley, taught Melton courses in Springfield, MA, and served as Jewish dance educator for the Foundation for Jewish Camps. Currently, she also teaches Judaic studies at Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School, is designing a youth curriculum for Congregation Darchei Noam, and serves as a research fellow for M2: Institute for Experiential Jewish Education. She has created new initiatives inspired by the needs of the Jewish community and her desire to offer opportunities for growth and healing. Dalia created Beit Midrash in Motion, a fully embodied approach to Jewish learning, and has led workshops at various conferences including Limmud and NewCaje. She also co-founded Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Journeys, and serves as its spiritual leader. She authored Fertility Journeys: A Jewish Healing Guide for Mayyim Hayyim, and has designed and led programming to support those struggling to grow their families. Dalia’s work creates community, offers pastoral support, and uses her passions for Jewish text and the arts to support people along their life journeys.

Dr. Mindy Feldman Hecht, EdD, Jofa Board President, lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband and children. She is an active member of Darkhei Noam and is deeply committed to the promotion of partnership minyanim. Mindy is also a Program Manager in the Office of Community Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where she leads research initiatives to promote health equity for all. Mindy received her doctorate in Applied Exercise Physiology at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she researched innovative ways to improve school-based physical activity and cognitive outcomes in underserved populations. Mindy graduated from Columbia University with a BA and has a Master’s in Public Health from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia. She is also an alumna of Migdal Oz. Mindy lives in New York with her family and enjoys reading, biking and traveling.

Rachel Gildiner (she/her) is Executive Director at Safety Respect Equity (SRE) Network, advancing gender equity across the Jewish communal sector. She is also a natural community builder and leading expert in the field of Relational Engagement. Rachel has used these skills to advance women’s equity in the Jewish workplace as a volunteer and lay leader prior to joining SRE Network. In 2019, she launched Year of the Jewish Woman, a vibrant Facebook community where female Jewish professionals and allies can connect and discuss key issues and challenges. Rachel has a B.A. in Sociology from Columbia University, a B.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary in Modern Jewish Studies, an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University, and a Certificate in Experiential Jewish Education from Yeshiva University. She is also a certified Ayeka Soulful Jewish Educator and a Schusterman Foundation Senior Fellow. Rachel lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, three children, and their dog, Scotty.

Eliana Goldin is graduating this May from Columbia University and The Jewish Theological Seminary where she studied political science and Talmud. After October 7th, Eliana spent her time on campus advocating for Jews and Israel through her club on campus, Aryeh. She co-authored In Our Name, a viral letter from Jewish Columbia students articulating their Zionist convictions, and she hosts her own podcast, The Uproar. She has no idea what she wants to do with her future, but she hopes it is filled with Torah, joy, and excitement.

Miriam Herman studied at Bais Yaakov schools for fourteen years and has her Masters in Math from Yeshiva University. She devotes much of her time to Torah study and writing about what she learns, aiming to make Jewish practice accessible to a wider audience. Her work can be found at miriamherman.com. Her JOFA Talmud workshop addresses the historical exclusion of women from this ancient text, leveraging her background in technology and knowledge of online resources to make Talmudic study more approachable for independent learners.

Rabba Sara Hurwitz is the first woman to be publicly ordained as an Orthodox rabbi. She is the Co-founder and President of Yeshivat Maharat and, since 2003, has served on the Rabbinic staff at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale – The Bayit.

Rabba Sara was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moved with her family to Boca Raton, Florida at the age of twelve. Since she was a child, she enjoyed being part of the Jewish community. Her ultimate goal became amusingly clear when, as a high school student, she was advised by a vocational counselor, based on a test, that she was best suited to be a member of the clergy.

After attending Midreshet Lindenbaum in Israel, she entered Barnard College, majoring in Psychology in New York and quickly became involved in a student run organization called Lights in Action, connecting other Jewish students to Judaism by teaching topics relevant to their lives. Subsequently, she assumed leadership positions in various Jewish organizations, including Lights in Action, which she directed for several years. She also began to lecture and teach in different venues such as CLAL, JCC, and various synagogues around the country.

After graduating from Drisha Institute’s Scholar Circle Program, she began to work as an intern with Rabbi Avi Weiss at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale – The Bayit. Over the seven years that she worked with Rabbi Weiss, she studied under his auspices, eventually gaining the necessary training to serve as a spiritual and halachic leader and was officially conferred in a public ceremony at The Bayit in March 2009. She and Rabbi Weiss co-founded Yeshivat Maharat in October 2009, when it opened with three students.

Rabba Sara finds joy in helping other people realize their dreams. She sees herself as an enabler — providing a credentialed pathway for women to pursue a career that for so many years was not open to them.

Rabba Sara lives in Riverdale, New York with her husband‭, ‬Josh Abraham‭, ‬and her sons Yonah‭, ‬Zacharya‭, ‬Davidi and Natan.‭

Julia Jassey is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jewish on Campus, the leading voice for Jewish students in the United States, combatting antisemitism, engaging in grassroots activism, and advocating for the Jewish community. Her work has been recognized widely in the Jewish community and beyond, featured on CNN, CBS, Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and other international news outlets. Working together with students around the country, she has advocated for students at every level—from university administrators to the White House as a contributor to the National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. She was awarded at the Anti-Defamation League’s Concert Against Hate for her leadership in the Jewish community, and she was considered one of Algemeiner Magazine’s “Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life” in 2021. She currently serves as a board member of American Jewish Committee ACCESS New York, a Brume and Allen Scholar at the American Sephardi Federation, and she was formerly the host of the “Nice Jewish Girls” feminist podcast. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 2023, where she studied Political Science and Jewish Studies.

Miryam Kabakov is a national leader who has worked for decades on the inclusion of LGTBQ+ individuals in the Orthodox world. Miryam is a founder and executive director of Eshel, an organization that supports LGBTQ+ Orthodox individuals and their families. Previously, as National program director of AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps, Miryam wrote curricula for a nationwide service program. She received her masters in social work from Yeshiva University and studied informal Jewish education through Brandeis University.

Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis serves as the sole spiritual leader and halachic authority for the Bet Knesset, Shirat Tamar, in Efrat. She is the first woman ever to serve in such a role in Israel. Rabbanit Shira is a graduate of the Susi Bradfield Women’s Institute of Halakhic Leadership (WIHL) at Ohr Torah Stone’s Midreshet Lindenbaum. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and teaches Torah for various religious institutes in Israel. Rabbanit Shira lives in Efrat with her husband, Shlomo, and five children.

Ariele Mortkowitz is the Founding Director of SVIVAH. She is passionate about the ways women* interact with their faith and their community and has dedicated herself to the pursuit of fulfilling female spiritual and communal experiences. She created the Agam Center in 2016, establishing a Jewish communal home for women’s spirituality, wellness, ritual, and education. Further committed to creating more unique spaces for women in Judaism, Ariele founded SVIVAH in 2019, an authentic and honest learning community that is personally and collectively impactful — leading Jewish women to live stronger lives and impacting their worlds for the better, supported by Torah and compassionate community. She received certification in Spiritual Entrepreneurship from Clal and Columbia Business School, is a member of the Kenissa Spiritual Communities Cohort, and was an inaugural participant in the JWI Jewish Communal Women’s Leadership Project for Executive Leadership. She was a Shalom Hartman Created Equal Fellow and Hadar Executive Cohort member. She has a background in nonprofit development focused on strategic planning, organizational growth, and culture creation. Ariele is also a JOFA/YCT/Maharat-certified premarital educator and a longtime mikvah ritual guide. Ariele lives with her family in Washington, DC where she is continually amazed by all she gains from the incredible women around her.

Ann Pava, President of Micah Philanthropies, is an activist, philanthropist, and thought leader. A natural community builder, Ann strives to embody the core Jewish values that animate her work, as expressed by the prophet Micah – “Only to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”

 

As a philanthropist, Ann takes the lead in innovative giving while making all who participate feel counted and treats all those they support as valued partners. As an activist, she has the unique ability to bring all types of people together, analyze challenges, and devise solutions. Ann believes that one of the strongest avenues to success for any organization is a strong lay and professional partnership. She is an articulate and passionate ambassador for the organizations and leaders she supports. A hallmark of her success over her career is her ability to inspire, mentor, and empower others, especially women, to lead and to make the world a better place.

 

Ann is the past chair of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools and a past chair of National Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). She is Founding Chair of the Hebrew High School of New England, and past chair of the Jewish Federation of Western MA. She currently serves on the boards of Prizmah and JFNA. She serves as Co-Chair of JFNA’s Community and Jewish Life Committee and as the Committee Chair for the Graduate Program for Advanced Talmud Studies for Women (GPATS) at Yeshiva University.

 

Ann and Jeremy were honored to Chair GA 2021 on behalf of JFNA. She and Jeremy are PJ Library Alliance Partners, AIPAC Minyan members, and founders of the Jewish Free Loan of Greater Hartford.

 

Ann is a past recipient of the JFNA Kipnes-Wilson Friedland Award for outstanding women philanthropists. She also received the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s Lay Leadership Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. She and Jeremy received the Connecticut ADL Torch of Liberty Award.

 

Ann enjoys spending time with Jeremy and their beautiful family including their three married children and seven grandchildren and has become the world’s best babysitter. She is an avid reader of any type of fiction and loves to cook for company.

Isaiah Joseph Rothstein serves as Rabbinic Scholar and Public Affairs Advisor at Jewish Federations of North America and the Senior Rabbi at the Greenpoint Shul in Brooklyn, NY. Isaiah has served as rabbi-in-residence at Adamah, Isabella Freedman, and Be’chol Lashon. He also served as rabbi for youth at Carmel Academy, Young Israel of Stamford, NCSY, and Camp Yavneh. Isaiah studied at Kushner Yeshiva High School, Lev HaTorah, Machon Lev, and Binghamton University, and received rabbinic ordination and a masters of social work from Yeshiva University. Raised in a multi-racial Chabad family from Monsey, NY, he sees himself as a human bridge, connecting disparate parts of the Jewish community and America.

Sara Shapiro-Plevan, EdD, is all about relationships, leveraging connection to improve practice, shift culture, understand our work, and engage effectively with others as we build sustainable and equitable networks, communities and workplaces. As the CEO of the Gender Equity in Hiring Project, she puts our Jewish values of equity and justice into action to build Jewish workplaces that tap into the best of our human potential, transforming the endemic culture of gender bias that so often keeps women and people of all genders from rising into leadership. Sara actively challenges bias as it shows up in Jewish organizational life and across our community, drawing on her career as a consultant, coach, facilitator, and educator, as she examines the ways gender, power and privilege affect the Jewish workplace. Sara holds an EdD and an MA from the Davidson School of The Jewish Theological Seminary, a BA from Brandeis University, and was Senior Educator at the Melton Center at Hebrew University. She is a Certified Salary Negotiation Specialist and an Advanced Career Facilitator for the 21st Century, holds DEI in the Workplace Certification from MUMA School of Business at the University of South Florida and is pursuing advanced coaching certification in Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching. Sara serves as a board member of Camp Ramah in New England and American University Hillel. She proudly uses sports metaphors (mostly incorrectly) in her work, thanks to her son, who teaches her about gender equity every day.

Dr. Laura Shaw Frank is the Director of the Contemporary Jewish Life Department at the American Jewish Committee, where she works on Israel-Diaspora relations, Israel education, Jewish literacy, and American Jewish communal life. A longtime Jewish educator, Laura held administrative and educational positions at Yeshivat Maharat and SAR High School prior to her work at AJC. Laura has lectured widely across the country at conferences, synagogues, university Hillels, and adult education institutes, and has published articles on subjects including Israel education, Jewish marriage and divorce in America, modern Orthodoxy, and Orthodox women’s leadership. Laura holds a PhD in Jewish history from the University of Maryland, College Park, and undergraduate and law degrees from Columbia University. A proud founding board member of Jofa, Laura lives in Riverdale, NY, with her family.

Rabbanit Aliza Sperling has been SVIVAH’s Director of Education since 2019. She is part of the faculty at Yeshivat Maharat and teaches Talmud at the Maharat-Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Beit Midrash Program. In addition to being the director of HerTorah, she serves as a Hartman research fellow and a Wexner faculty member. She received her ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and a JD from NYU Law School. She also authored a halachic analysis of whether a blind person may read Torah for the collective in Braille. She lives with her husband and four children in Riverdale, NY.

Peninah Taragin Gershman began working with the Orthodox LGBTQ community when her teenage son came out in 2013. She is an Eshel board member, parent mentor to other Orthodox parents of LGBTQ children, and has been the co-chair for the annual Eshel Parent Retreat for over 10 years. She is passionate about making the Orthodox world a more welcoming place for our LGBTQ young adults. Peninah lives in Silver Spring, MD with her husband and they are the parents of three young adult children. She has worked professionally as a speech-language pathologist, Medicare policy maker and is involved in several local organizations.

Tessa Veksler is a public speaker, content creator, and Jewish advocate. Originally from the East Bay Area in California, Tessa is a 2024 graduate from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) where she received her B.A. in Political Science and Communication. Tessa took a gap year in Israel and simultaneously studied Judaics at Bar Ilan University while remotely completing her first year at UCSB in 2021. She lived through Operation Guardian of the Walls and brought her experiences and dedication to Israel advocacy and fighting antisemitism to her campus community through her various leadership roles. She served in multiple fellowships, including ICC’s prestigious Geller Fellowship. After serving in student government for two years, Tessa completed her term as the Student Body President of UCSB in May 2024. She represented 24,000+ students, and she made history by becoming the first ever Shabbat-observant Associated Students President at UCSB.


After facing targeted harassment and antisemitism in the wake of October 7th, Tessa has chosen to speak out bravely about her experiences while encouraging Jewish people nationwide to fight against hate. With 35,000+ followers on Instagram and videos racking up more than 7.5 million combined views, Tessa has become a prominent Jewish and Zionist voice on social media. She has received numerous recognitions, including invitations to the White House and UCSB’s University Service Award. In addition to her recent feature in the documentary ‘October 8th’, she now travels nationwide to share her message of strength, resilience, and continued activism while simultaneously working full time in public relations for Hiltzik Strategies in New York City.

Moran Zer Katzenstein is the founder of Bonot Alternativa, now one of Israel’s largest social activist organizations promoting women’s rights, with over 100,000 members working to advance gender equality and strengthen women’s leadership. Over the past four years, Zer Katzenstein has skillfully transformed Bonot into a national movement spanning more than 80 cities and towns across Israel, making it one of the defining forces in the country’s pro-democracy movements.


On October 7, Zer Katzenstein made the immediate decision to pause all ongoing activities and redirect Bonot’s efforts toward caring for thousands of evacuees displaced by the war. To this end, she established an operations center in central Israel and leveraged Bonot’s national network of professional women to provide hands-on support for displaced communities across the country.


Zer Katzenstein is the founder of Bonot Alternativa, bringing a wealth of experience from her tenure as a marketing executive at global giants like Google, Coca-Cola, L’Oréal, and Playtika. Before transitioning to the private sector, she served in an intelligence role in Israel’s Shin Bet and held the rank of Lieutenant in the IDF. She holds an MBA from Tel Aviv’s College of Management. A dedicated mother of four, Katzenstein seamlessly balances her personal and professional life, driven by her commitment be part of the healing process of Israeli society, which cannot exist without women.

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