Rabba Yaffa Epstein
Advanced Kollel: Executive Ordination, Class of 2015

Rabba Yaffa Epstein is the Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence at the Jewish Education Project. Formerly, she served as the Director of the Wexner Heritage Program at the Wexner Foundation, where she designed and implemented the educational and leadership experience of volunteer leaders throughout North America. Epstein has also served as the Director of Education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and was a member of the faculty. She has served on the faculties of Yeshivat Maharat and the Drisha Institute. Epstein has taught in depth courses on Talmud, Rabbinic Literature, Jewish Pluralism, Jewish liturgy, Jewish leadership, and Women in Jewish Law.
Rabba Epstein has served as an Educator and Scholar in Residence for the Dorot Fellowship, Moishe House, Jewish Federation of North America, the Covenant Foundation, the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, Repair the World, the Meorot Fellowship, and the KADIMA Fellowship. She has lectured at numerous Limmud events around the globe, has written curriculum for the Global Day of Jewish Learning and has created innovative educational programming for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. She has trained Rabbis and Educators from across the spectrum of Jewish denominations. Rabba Epstein is passionate about making Torah and Jewish learning accessible and exciting, and creating learning environments that are welcoming, diverse, and inclusive to all who wish to participate.
She received Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshivat Maharat, earned an additional private Ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes, holds a Law Degree from Bar-Ilan University, and studied at the Talmud Department at Hebrew University.
publications and media
Title | Type | Category | Topic | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
Power Hour of Torah - High Holiday 5782 Edition | Multimedia; Dvar Torah | Video Divrei Torah; Panels and Discussions; Holiday | Yamim Noraim | 5782/2021 |
Esav and Yakkov: It Didn’t Have to Be This Way | Dvar Torah | Bereishit | Toldot | 5783/2022 |
I Am an Imposter | Multimedia | December 27, 2015 | ||
Gratitude to What Makes Me Who I Am | Multimedia | May 24, 2020 | ||
Standing on One Foot | Multimedia | December 14, 2017 | ||
For the Rest of Us: A Year of Rejuvenation | Multimedia | January 18, 2022 | ||
Why Should We Learn Torah | Multimedia | January 11, 2018 | ||
Loving God and Loving Ourselves | Dvar Torah | November 15, 2015 | ||
Creating the Amidah: How Our Defining Prayer Came into Being | Dvar Torah | November 17, 2013 | ||
Heeding the Wake-Up Call of Our Tradition | Dvar Torah | Holidays | Rosh HaShana | September 7, 2017 |
Shining a Light on Our Habits | Dvar Torah | Holidays | Chanukah | December 22, 2019 |
Hag HaHinukh: The Holiday of Education | Dvar Torah | Holidays | Pesach | April 3, 2015 |
Did Esther and Ruth Break the Glass Ceiling? A Debate | Dvar Torah | February 1, 2016 | ||
Shivim Panim | Dvar Torah | August 9, 2022 | ||
#maharat10daysoftorah Pesach 2022, Day 3 | Dvar Torah; Multimedia | Holidays; Video Dvar Torah | Pesach; #maharat10daysoftorah | 2022/5782 |
Don't Go It Alone | Dvar Torah | Shemot | Yitro | 2016/5776 |
On Spies, Daughters, and Claiming our Inheritance | Dvar Torah | Bamidbar | Shelach | 2017/5777 |
God Desires Our Broken Hearts | Dvar Torah | Vayikra | Tzav | 2017/5777 |
Power Hour of Torah - The Chanukah Edition | Multimedia; Dvar Torah | Video Divrei Torah; Panels and Discussions; Holiday | Chanukah | December 10, 2020 |
What We Can Be Certain of Even in Uncertain Times: Using the New Year to Find our Inner Voice | In the News | September 3, 2020 |
mentions
Title | Publication | Published |
---|---|---|
2020 Ushpizot | JOFA | April 8, 2020 |
books
June 2022
Myriad Jewish leaders including Rabba Yaffa Epstein compile narratives about the diverse adult educational opportunities, formal and informal alike.