Some forty years after the publishing of Blu Greenberg’s trailblazing On Women and Judaism, a source-based treatise advocating for a halakhic way of introducing a greater role for women, JOFA members Daphne Lazar Price and Zelda Stern discuss the implications of the time on Jewish women and their roles in their communities.

Parashat Terumah speaks in lengthy detail about all the materials donated to the building of the mishkan, Tabernacle, and the rapidity with which the Jewish people met the demands despite the hefty price tag. Nomi Kaltmann speaks about the dual benefit of the beauty of the building as it serves both God and the nation and brings joy to both, especially through the lens of a community out of shul for the duration of the pandemic.

In a time of feeling trapped and in despair, Rabba Sara Hurwitz addresses Parashat Zakhor’s idea of moving on from the state of a victim to the unknown of our inner Amalek to the confidence of a traveler accepting the times of uncertainty going along the path of life.

As Purim approaches in an era of social distancing, Rabbi Jeffrey Fox offers a p’sak halakhah permitting listening to the reading of the megillah over Zoom, among other obligations which consider one who listens to the performance to be akin to the performer. This decision comes at the end of an organized presentation of different poskim who write about the role of hearing an echo.

One year after the introduction of the heartbeat bill, a bill passed through the court system which looked to outlaw abortion from the moment a heartbeat can be heard, social worker and Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez speaks out about her obligation to teach others the importance of the life of the woman, and the obligation to abort in case when the pregnancy endangers her.

Having finally overcome some of the sexism which prevents so many women from entering rabbinical positions with the founding of Yeshivat Maharat, Rabbi Marianne Novak speaks about the other discrimination faced in the Jewish community: ageism. Be it in programming or professional events, the age cap seems to be set for one age bracket alone, despite the creative benefits of women post-menopause.

The gemara debates whether one can be coerced into building a gatehouse for one’s communal courtyard or a wall around one’s city; as Rashi argues, it blocks the cries of the poor. The same language of outcry, says Rabbi Alana Suskin, is sourced from this week’s parsha which emphasizes the obligation of hearing those who cry out and hearing the voice of God in the process.

Rabbanit Jennifer Geretz on the eternal spiritual sustenance passed on from Sara’s breast milk • Rabbanit Dr. Liz Shayne responds to breastfeeding as being both feeding and exposure • Rabba Sara Hurwitz on welcoming back a social norm

The Hebrew language is a colorful, multinational language with influences from many cultures. Stuart Schoffman and semicha student Rabbi Wendy Zierler speak about their own journeys within the Hebrew language and how they approach translations of poems in a loyal but beautiful manner, writing for films and approaching sources and conversations in class.

The giving of the Torah was a globally transformative moment. From the complete stillness of sound to the threat of returning to a primordial world, Talia Weisberg takes a closer look at Matan Torah in order to find the eye of the storm.