Written by Women, Connected on Sefaria
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ShareWomen's Torah scholarship on Sefaria.
Did you know the Sefaria library features a musical midrashic exploration of figures from the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)? Or a pediatrician’s take on halakhah? Sefaria’s signature interconnected infrastructure means you can read ideas about Torah written by medieval sages alongside commentaries written in the 21st century.
We’re proud to be part of an ever-evolving tradition of asking questions and searching for answers. That means bringing the voices of those who have historically been outside the beit midrash (study hall) into the conversation.
By making Torah scholarship by women accessible, we’re widening the circle of discourse and inviting everyone to participate in the unbroken chain of learning.
We hope you enjoy this selection of works by women in the Sefaria library.
On Tanakh
The Torah: A Women’s Commentary
Scholars from across the spectrum of Jewish affiliation come together to shed new light on the Torah in this expansive volume put forth by CCAR Press andWomen of Reform Judaism (WRJ). The 21st-century commentary provides a rich diversity of perspectives, featuring writing by more than 100 contributors including historians, linguists, anthropologists, poets, and clergy. As the first comprehensive Torah commentary authored entirely by women, it was named the 2008 Jewish Book of the Year by the Jewish Book Council. Start reading…
Scholars from across the spectrum of Jewish affiliation come together to shed new light on the Torah in this expansive volume put forth by CCAR Press andWomen of Reform Judaism (WRJ). The 21st-century commentary provides a rich diversity of perspectives, featuring writing by more than 100 contributors including historians, linguists, anthropologists, poets, and clergy. As the first comprehensive Torah commentary authored entirely by women, it was named the 2008 Jewish Book of the Year by the Jewish Book Council. Start reading…
Leadership in the Wilderness; Authority and Anarchy in the Book of Numbers
What’s the key to successful leadership? In this 20th-century volume, Dr. Erica Brown analyzes events of the book of Numbers in an attempt to answer this question. Bringing together biblical texts, commentary, literature, and philosophy, this book examines aspects of Numbers like the impact of the landscape on its inhabitants, attitudes toward ascetics and strangers, and the roles of animals and symbols. Start reading…
What’s the key to successful leadership? In this 20th-century volume, Dr. Erica Brown analyzes events of the book of Numbers in an attempt to answer this question. Bringing together biblical texts, commentary, literature, and philosophy, this book examines aspects of Numbers like the impact of the landscape on its inhabitants, attitudes toward ascetics and strangers, and the roles of animals and symbols. Start reading…
Torah of the Mothers
In this essay collection, 23 Orthodox women Torah scholars and educators come together to share reflections on teachers who have personally influenced and inspired them, readings of biblical and rabbinic texts, and essays on the themes of exile and redemption in Jewish texts or Jewish history. Start reading…
In this essay collection, 23 Orthodox women Torah scholars and educators come together to share reflections on teachers who have personally influenced and inspired them, readings of biblical and rabbinic texts, and essays on the themes of exile and redemption in Jewish texts or Jewish history. Start reading…
As It Is Written
In this series created by Rachel Brodie, former senior educator for the Jewish Studio Project, you’re invited to study a biblical passage and follow prompts for examining your own life experiences and concerns mirrored in the text’s characters and situations. Start reading…
In this series created by Rachel Brodie, former senior educator for the Jewish Studio Project, you’re invited to study a biblical passage and follow prompts for examining your own life experiences and concerns mirrored in the text’s characters and situations. Start reading…
The Nechama Leibowitz Collection
An esteemed scholar, educator, and commentator, Professor Nechama Leibowitz was a major figure of Jewish thought in the 20th century, teaching at schools across Israel and, later, providing regular Torah commentary on Israeli radio. She was best known for her thought-provoking gilyonot — mimeographed pages of questions and ideas about the weekly Torah portion — that were sent to students the world over before the technology was there to support such an endeavor. A great many of Professor Leibowitz’s gilyonot are available on Sefaria. Start reading…
An esteemed scholar, educator, and commentator, Professor Nechama Leibowitz was a major figure of Jewish thought in the 20th century, teaching at schools across Israel and, later, providing regular Torah commentary on Israeli radio. She was best known for her thought-provoking gilyonot — mimeographed pages of questions and ideas about the weekly Torah portion — that were sent to students the world over before the technology was there to support such an endeavor. A great many of Professor Leibowitz’s gilyonot are available on Sefaria. Start reading…
Beyond the End of the World
This three-part series of source sheets by Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg explores “Moses’s rejected final prayer, the enigmatic ending of the book of Jonah, and the connection between the Golden Calf and the Clouds of Glory.” The sheets include video lectures alongside sources from the library discussed in the videos. Start reading…
This three-part series of source sheets by Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg explores “Moses’s rejected final prayer, the enigmatic ending of the book of Jonah, and the connection between the Golden Calf and the Clouds of Glory.” The sheets include video lectures alongside sources from the library discussed in the videos. Start reading…
On Midrash
Midrash is a form of Jewish interpretive literature that explores and explains biblical texts, often filling in gaps, addressing ambiguities, and providing moral or theological insights. In these works, women scholars take three distinct approaches to midrashic texts.
Learning to Read Midrash
The world of midrash is vast, and it can be difficult to understand at times. That’s why Simi Peters, a long-time educator specializing in Tanakh, midrash, and biblical commentary, created this clear and helpful volume. In it, Peters provides a systematic approach to midrash by exploring two main genres of midrash — the parable (mashal) and the midrashic story — and demonstrates how to "translate" the language of the sages into contemporary terminology. Start reading…
The world of midrash is vast, and it can be difficult to understand at times. That’s why Simi Peters, a long-time educator specializing in Tanakh, midrash, and biblical commentary, created this clear and helpful volume. In it, Peters provides a systematic approach to midrash by exploring two main genres of midrash — the parable (mashal) and the midrashic story — and demonstrates how to "translate" the language of the sages into contemporary terminology. Start reading…
[Hebrew only] Dirshuni
Classical rabbinic midrash meets contemporary feminist issues in this two-volume collection of midrashim, the first of its kind to be fully composed by contemporary Israeli women. The contributors to Dirshuni come from a range of political and religious backgrounds, bringing an extra richness to the variety of midrashic texts. This collection was edited by Nehama Weingarten-Mintz and Tamar Biala, both authors and educators. Start reading…
Classical rabbinic midrash meets contemporary feminist issues in this two-volume collection of midrashim, the first of its kind to be fully composed by contemporary Israeli women. The contributors to Dirshuni come from a range of political and religious backgrounds, bringing an extra richness to the variety of midrashic texts. This collection was edited by Nehama Weingarten-Mintz and Tamar Biala, both authors and educators. Start reading…
Girls in Trouble: Musical Midrash about Women in Torah
This indie-folk song cycle about women in Torah comes complete with an accompanying curriculum, so you can listen, read, or teach it — or all three! Created by musician, writer, filmmaker, and teacher Alicia Jo Rabins, the project (part of which is on Sefaria) includes songs and lesson plans for better-known female characters in the Tanakh (like Sarah and Rachel) as well as more obscure biblical women (like Potiphar’s wife and Yiftach’s daughter). Start exploring…
This indie-folk song cycle about women in Torah comes complete with an accompanying curriculum, so you can listen, read, or teach it — or all three! Created by musician, writer, filmmaker, and teacher Alicia Jo Rabins, the project (part of which is on Sefaria) includes songs and lesson plans for better-known female characters in the Tanakh (like Sarah and Rachel) as well as more obscure biblical women (like Potiphar’s wife and Yiftach’s daughter). Start exploring…
On Talmud
Rereading the Rabbis: A Woman’s Voice
Discover a fresh take on the teachings of the sages in this extensive 20th-century volume by Dr. Judith Haptman, Talmud scholar and professor at The Jewish Theological Seminary. The author delves into 10 topics, taking care to explore certain passages in great depth in order to illustrate her fresh understanding of the text. Start reading…
Discover a fresh take on the teachings of the sages in this extensive 20th-century volume by Dr. Judith Haptman, Talmud scholar and professor at The Jewish Theological Seminary. The author delves into 10 topics, taking care to explore certain passages in great depth in order to illustrate her fresh understanding of the text. Start reading…
On Halakhah
A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life
Ever wondered how the laws that govern Jewish marital life intersect with modern medical practices? In this volume, written by pediatrician Dr. Deena Zimmerman and published in 2011, the author explores the connections between halakhah (Jewish law) and women’s health issues throughout the life cycle.Start reading…
Ever wondered how the laws that govern Jewish marital life intersect with modern medical practices? In this volume, written by pediatrician Dr. Deena Zimmerman and published in 2011, the author explores the connections between halakhah (Jewish law) and women’s health issues throughout the life cycle.Start reading…
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