#YourTorah (JOFA UK)

Shira Eliassian opens up masekhet Nazir (someone who takes a particular ascetic vow), looking at nazirut in terms of inclusive religious practice and participation.

Shira Eliassian is currently pursuing a Masters in Religion at University of Chicago's Divinity School. Her studies focus on how religion is expressed through literature and visual culture. Shira has created programming and online education for JOFA and is currently editor of The JOFA Blog. This March she will be visiting the UK as JOFA UK's Be'er Miriam scholar.

Rabba Sara Hurwitz introduces Seder Moed, taking us on a whirlwind tour of the Jewish calendar.

Rabba Sara Hurwitz, is the co-founder and President of Yeshivat Maharat and is also on the rabbinic team at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, a large orthodox synagogue in New York. Following graduation from Barnard College, Columbia University, she entered and subsequently graduated from Drisha’s three-year Scholars Circle Program. She was ordained in 2009 by Rabbi Avi Weiss and Rabbi Daniel Sperber.

Dr. Rachel Levmore discusses the possibility of divorce within Judaism as a manifestation of tikun olam – as an ongoing challenge for the Rabbinical Courts and for individuals within Jewish society.

For more information see the article:
The Prenuptial Agreement of Mutual Respect, Get and English Law

More information on: prenuptial agreements, gets, and postnuptial agreements.

Dr. Rachel Levmore, Rabbinical Court Advocate, is the Director of the Agunot and Get-Refusal Prevention Project, of the International Young Israel Movement in Israel and the Jewish Agency – assisting women and men within the Rabbinical Courts the world-over (including England) to achieve a divorce within Jewish law. Rachel is a co-author of a Prenuptial Agreement for the Prevention of Get-Refusal ─ "The Agreement for Mutual Respect". As the first (newly legislated) female member of the State of the Israel Commission for the Appointment of Rabbinical Court Judges Rachel has participated in the appointment of 32 Regional and High Rabbinical Court Judges. An expert on the agunah problem, she is the author of "Min'ee Einayikh Me'Dimah" on prenuptial agreements, published in Hebrew. Rachel is a recipient of the prestigious Bonei Zion Prize. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Jewish Law from Bar Ilan University; writes and lectures about halakha, women in halakha and divorce in Jewish Law, in Israel and Jewish communities around the world.

Marianne Novak is a third year off site student at Yeshivat Maharat and a Rabbinic Intern at Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. She lives in Skokie, Illinois with her family where she has been teaching for the past 19 years for the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Education and is a Gabbait for the Skokie Women’s Tefillah Group. She has also taught Tanach at Rochelle Zella Chicago and Jewish High School. She has a BA in Political Science from Barnard and a JD from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Tirzah Meacham unpacks masekhet Kiddushin, exploring its central place in understanding the role of women in our communities today.

Tirzah Meacham has a PhD in Talmud from Hebrew University. She works chiefly on Niddah, status of women, legal status and medical realia in Talmudic literature. Together with Miriam Frenkel she published Sefer HaBagrut, by Shmuel ben Hofni Gaon, on legal minority and majority, as well as several articles in the Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. She is currently working on the Feminist Commentary to Tractate Niddah and Tehinot. She teaches Talmudic Literature at the University of Toronto.

This YourTorah episode is dedicated by Tirzah Meacham in memory of Rivka Horwitz, a woman who wanted to study Talmud but wasn't allowed. She worked in Jewish Thought but encouraged Tirzah to study Talmud.

Michal Kohane opens up masekhet Bekhorot, asking what constitutes a firstborn - whether animal or human - and what makes a firstborn so special.

Born and raised in Israel, Michal Kohane has been a leader and educator in the Jewish community of Northern California for over twenty five years. She is currently a student at Yeshivat Maharat and the Rosh Kehila for Prospect Heights Shul in Brooklyn NY. She holds several degrees and is an avid learner and writer - her first book appeared in Israel in 2016 and her writing can also be found on her blog.

Gila Bieler-Hoch introduces masekhet Makkot, exploring what unifies its seemingly disparate content: false witnesses, cities of refuge, and the punishment of lashes.

Gila Bieler-Hoch is a Jerusalem-based Talmud and halakhah teacher. She has taught in a variety of settings, from middle school to gap year programmes in America and Israel, including Drisha and Midreshet Lindenbaum. She studied for three years in Matan's Advanced Talmud Institute and holds an MA in Talmud from Bar Ilan University.

Claudia Marbach sifts through the laws of untithed food to learn the values of community and the importance of shared meals.

Claudia Marbach is a fourth year student at Yeshivat Maharat, NY. She has launched a pop-up beit midrash for women in Boston, called One Night Shtender. Before Yeshivat Maharat, Claudia was a middle school teacher at JCDS Boston, a pluralistic Jewish Day School, for fifteen years, where she developed a Rabbinics curriculum. She founded a partnership minyan and participates in interfaith dialogue. Claudia received her BA in English from Barnard College, and JD from Boston University.

Devorah Zlochower unpacks masekhet Negaim, examining its categorisation of afflictions, and their corresponding symptoms and purification rituals, as well as drawing out its insights into human behaviour.

Devorah Zlochower is Executive Editor of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School's Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies and a rebbe at YCT. She has taught Gemara and halakhah for over two decades at YCT, Mechon Hadar, SAR High School and Drisha Institute where she was Rosh Beit Midrash. She lives in Riverdale.

Rabbanit Chava Evans introduces masekhet Kilayim which deals with crossbreeding of plants & animals and considers what duty we may have toward the preservation of species.

Rabbanit Chava Evans holds a BA in Religion from Brown University, where she was awarded the James Manning Medal for Excellence in Religious Studies. Rabbanit Chava trained as a painter in Israel and the United States and holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She learned at the Nishmat Center for Advanced Torah Study and received Orthodox Semikhah in May, 2017 from Yeshivat Maharat. Rabbanit Chava currently serves as the Director of Jewish Life at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington.

Rabbi Aviva Richman looks into masekhet Makhshirin, unpacking how its discussion of the purity of objects provides us with a chance to become more aware of our intentions in our day-to-day lives.

Rabbi Aviva Richman is on faculty at the Hadar Institute in New York where she teaches Talmud, Halakhah, Midrash and Hasidut. She received private semikhah from Rabbi Danny Landes in Jerusalem, and is a doctoral candidate in Talmud at New York University. She lives in Riverdale, NY with her spouse, Tzemah, and kids Boaz, Elisha and Benaya.

Check out Aviva's lecture series 'Rabbinic Voices and Sexual Assault' at the Hadar Institute, and her blog on the subject.

Rabbanit Bracha Jaffe unpacks masekhet Eduyot, explaining how it weaves together testimonies from multiple Sages, lifting up halakhic principles in its quest to promote peace and end controversy.

Rabbanit Bracha Jaffe serves as Community Educator at Beth Tfiloh synagogue in Blatimore, MD and as a High School teacher in Beth Tfiloh School. She is a dynamic and thoughtful educator who delights in learning with people of all ages. As a self-professed leyning nerd, she is the voice of the JOFA Megilat Esther App. Rabbanit Jaffe was ordained by Yeshivat Maharat in June 2017. She feels blessed to be following this path which nourishes and fills her soul.

Dr Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz explains the making of Mishnah and takes us through its various layers.

Visual aid for this podcast: Mishnah layers

Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz studied archaeology at Cambridge and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and recently completed a PhD at University College London on the religious lives of Orthodox Jewish women, which will be published as a book. She is a Teaching Fellow at London School of Jewish Studies, an occasional lecturer at Cambridge and Oxford, edits academic books, is involved in Scriptural Reasoning and interfaith activity, and has taught young & old in the Jewish community for the past 15 years.

Sharon Weiss-Greenberg opens up masekhet Sanhedrin, explaining how the example of the rebellious son teaches us how to work with the law to protect our sense of morality.

Sharon Weiss-Greenberg is the Executive Director of JOFA. Sharon has served as the Rosh Moshava at Camp Stone, as the co-director of the Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at Harvard Hillel after a decade of teaching in various day schools. Sharon earned her doctorate at NYU. She studied at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education and received her B.A. and M.A. from Yeshiva University.

This YourTorah episode is dedicated by Sharon Weiss-Greenberg in honour of Dina Brawer's upcoming semikha. She has brought light to the UK, and Torah to the world. We are all most grateful.

Rebecca Blady reveals Orlah and the multiple meanings of 'Forbidden Fruit'.

Rebecca Blady aspires to be an idea generator for the Jewish people. She is currently in her third year at Yeshivat Maharat, the only seminary in the USA to grant Orthodox ordination to women. Together with her husband, Rebecca co-founded Base Berlin, a home-based, pluralistic Jewish community for young Jews in Berlin, Germany. She currently works with the Hillel Office of Innovation as Coordinator for the Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurship. She has also served as Rabbinic Intern at the Prospect Heights Shul and as a Fellow at ImmerseNYC and Hillel's Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs. Rebecca teaches and writes on topics related to Jewish identity, mindfulness and spirituality. She is a certified yoga teacher and ImmerseNYC Mikvah Guide. Rebecca lives in Brooklyn with her husband Jeremy Borovitz, a rabbinical student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. She holds a B.A. cum laude from Brandeis University. A proud granddaughter of four lively and loving Holocaust survivors, Rebecca advocates for a united global Jewish narrative and every individual Jewish story.

Rabbanit Chava Evans guides us through a complex labyrinth of intricate family relations to understand levirate marriage.

Rabbanit Chava Evans holds a BA in Religion from Brown University, where she was awarded the James Manning Medal for Excellence in Religious Studies. Rabbanit Chava trained as a painter in Israel and the United States and holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She learned at the Nishmat Center for Advanced Torah Study and received Orthodox Semikhah in May, 2017 from Yeshivat Maharat. Rabbanit Chava currently serves as the Director of Jewish Life at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington.

Dina Brawer considers how the Sages set boundaries on permitted work to preserve the sacred and joyous tone of festive days.

Dina Brawer studied Torah in Jerusalem, New York and London. Dina’s life journey led her to do things she never dreamed of, including launching an Orthodox feminist movement in the UK and studying for Orthodox semikha (rabbinic ordination) at Yeshivat Maharat in NY, where she now is in her final year.

Sharona Halickman introduces masekhet Yoma, asking whether Yom Kippur is a festive, happy day, and exploring repentance as a daily act.

Sharona Halickman made aliya in August 2004 from Riverdale, NY. She has a BA in Judaic Studies and an MS in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University. Sharona served as the first Congregational Intern and Madricha Ruchanit at The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. Sharona lives in Jerusalem and is the founder and director of Torat Reva Yerushalayim, a non-profit organization that provides Torah study groups for students of all ages and backgrounds. Sharona is also a member of Beit Hillel.

Rabbi Sarah Mulhern examines the various categories of oaths in the Mishnah, their uses and application.

Sarah Mulhern is the Manager of Rabbinic and Lay Education for Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where she serves as a faculty and research team member and oversees educational programmes. She was ordained from the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, where she also earned a Masters in Jewish Education. Sarah is an alumna of Yeshivat Hadar, Pardes Institute, Drisha Institute, and Beit Midrash Har El. She is currently pursuing additional private rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes.

Rabba Claudia Marbach opens up the final masekhet of the Mishnah, Oktzin, looking at the study of Mishnah and how it constitutes part of the pleasures of this world.

Rabba Claudia Marbach recently received semikha from Yeshivat Maharat, NY. She has launched a pop-up beit midrash for women in Boston, called One Night Shtender. Before Yeshivat Maharat, Claudia was a middle school teacher at JCDS Boston, a pluralistic Jewish Day School, for fifteen years, where she developed a Rabbinics curriculum. She founded a partnership minyan and participates in interfaith dialogue. Claudia received her BA in English from Barnard College, and JD from Boston University.

Ilana Kurshan introduces masekhet Nedarim, explaining the process of making and dissolving vows, and noticing how it's not so different from how we make - and break - new year's resolutions.

Ilana Kurshan is the author of If All the Seas Were Ink, a memoir of Talmud study published by St. Martin's Press. She has translated books of Jewish interest by Ruth Calderon, Benjamin Lau, and Micah Goodman, as well as novels, short stories, and children’s picture books. Her book Why Is This Night Different From Other Nights was published by Schocken in 2005. She is a regular contributor to Lilith Magazine, where she is the Book Reviews Editor, and her writing has appeared in The Forward, The World Jewish Digest, Hadassah, Nashim, Zeek, Kveller, and Tablet. Kurshan is a graduate of Harvard University (BA, summa cum laude, History of Science) and Cambridge University (M.Phil, English Literature). She lives in Jerusalem with her husband and four children.

This YourTorah episode is dedicated by Ilana Kurshan in memory of Rabbi Gershon Schwartz, author of Swimming in the Sea of the Talmud, an accessible and engaging introduction to Talmud study.

Atara Cohen unpacks masekhet Tahorot, looking at how impurity flows from one object to another and exploring how the Mishnah bestows certainty on an uncertain world.

Atara Cohen graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Religion and a certificate in Judaic Studies, where she focused her non-academic time on interfaith work. After studying Torah in a variety of settings, including Midreshet Nishmat, Yeshivat Hadar, and the Drisha Institute throughout college, she began to study full time at Yeshivat Maharat. She was a fellow at T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, and now works at Columbia/Barnard Hillel as a rabbinic intern.

Miriam Gedwiser leads us through masekhet Sotah, examining exegetical rabbinic readings of the Sotah ritual and meditating on the power of the Oral Torah.

Miriam Gedwiser is a faculty member at Drisha and at the Ramaz Upper School. She has a BA in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Chicago, and studied in the Drisha Scholars Circle as well as at other programmes in Israel and Boston. Miriam studied law at NYU and practiced commercial litigation for several years before returning to teaching. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

Anne Gordon opens up masekhet Horayot, tracing its discussion of leadership and human error, and how one informs the other.

Anne Gordon is the deputy editor of Ops & Blogs at The Times of Israel. Her bachelors in History and Philosophy and masters in Judaic Studies are from Harvard University, and she is pursuing a slow doctorate in girls’ Talmud education. An alumna of the Drisha Scholars Circle, Anne studied in Jerusalem's women’s batei midrash. She has taught widely, including at Matan, Midreshet HaRova, Yeshivah of Flatbush High School, YUHSG (Central), Kohelet, Maimonides, and Drisha Institute. Anne is a founding member of Chochmat Nashim.

This YourTorah episode is dedicated in memory of Maureen Kendler, Hadassah Mindel bat Chava Sarah veMordechai. She loved Torah, pursued Torah and taught Torah to all.

Ranana Dine explores masekhet Ketubot, unpacking the ketubah's role, and the rabbis' realistic and structured presentation of marriage.

Links Ranana refers to:
Illuminated ketubah example: Casale Monferrato, Italy 1671,
Organisation for the Resolution of Agunot (ORA),
United Synagogue Pre-Nuptial Agreement

Ranana Dine is a graduate student at the University of Cambridge. She completed an MPhil in theology last year, and is currently studying medical humanities. At Cambridge she is involved with the Jewish Society, having served as Interfaith Representative and Gabbai. She majored in art and religion at Williams College in Massachusetts and was co-president of the college's Jewish Association. She has studied at both the Drisha Institute and Mechon Hadar in New York City. Her work has been published on The Lehrhaus, the Hadassah-Brandeis blog and in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.

This YourTorah episode is sponsored by Naama Margolis in honour of her parents, Ilana and David Heller, and in honour of her tireless Gemara teacher, Anat Novoselsky, who first introduced her to masekhet Ketubot.

Dina Brawer unravels the laws and customs that apply to Megillah, Torah reading, and the use of synagogue space.

Dina Brawer studied Torah in Jerusalem, New York and London. Dina’s life journey led her to do things she never dreamed of, including launching an Orthodox feminist movement in the UK and studying for Orthodox semikha (rabbinic ordination) at Yeshivat Maharat in NY, where she now is in her final year.

Professor Ruth Langer presents the content of Masekhet Berakhot; the first book in the order of Zeraim: prayers personal & public covering every aspect of life.

Ruth Langer is Professor of Jewish Studies in the Theology Department at Boston College and Associate Director of its Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. She is also chair of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations. Her books include Cursing the Christians?: A History of the Birkat HaMinim (Oxford University Press, 2012), To Worship God Properly: Tensions between Liturgical Custom and Halakhah in Judaism, published in 1998 (Hebrew Union College Press), Jewish Liturgy: A Guide to Research (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015), and she co-edited Liturgy in the Life of the Synagogue (Eisenbrauns, 2005) along with a long list of published articles.

Miriam Gedwiser unpacks masekhet Chagigah, and its rules of pilgrimage - as made on the shalosh regalim (the 3 pilgrimage festivals) - exploring the themes of community and transmission.

Miriam Gedwiser is a faculty member at Drisha and at the Ramaz Upper School. She has a BA in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Chicago, and studied in the Drisha Scholars Circle as well as at other programmes in Israel and Boston. Miriam studied law at NYU and practiced commercial litigation for several years before returning to teaching. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

Leah Sarna opens up masekhet Yadayim, unpacking how hands are made impure and looking at how King Solomon created 'tumat yadayim' - the impurities of the hands.

Leah Sarna is a fourth year student at Yeshivat Maharat, a Wexner Graduate Fellow and a Mishnah junkie. Leah has taught Torah to adults and teens around the world, stretching from New York City to London, Tel Aviv and Melbourne. Starting this summer, she will begin working as the Director of Religious Engagement at Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation in Chicago, IL.

Rabba Dr. Carmella Abraham introduces masekhet Rosh Hashanah, looking at the different phases of the moon and the process through which the new moon was once declared.

With a medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and semikha (ordination) from Yeshivat Maharat, Rabba Dr. Carmella Abraham brings her background as a physician to her study of Jewish texts and practice. While at Yeshivat Maharat, she developed and co-taught the Women’s Health and Niddah curriculum, as well as interned at the Hillels of Westchester, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital Chaplaincy Program and served as a Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Created Equal Seminar Fellowship. As a member of the Women’s Health Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, she held a dual appointment in Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Rabba Dr. Carmella currently serves as Community Educator in Westchester and works in Oncology Medical Affairs for the pharmaceutical industry. She lives in White Plains, New York with her husband, Dr. Steven Kubersky, and their three children.

Rabba Dina Brawer wraps up the YourTorah journey, and shares an overview of the project.

Help us understand the impact of YourTorah by sharing your feedback here in our brief form.

This episode is sponsored by Yeshivat Maharat, the first institution to ordain women as Orthodox clergy, and where JOFA UK's founder, Dina Brawer, recently received semikha. Dina joins a cohort of 26 graduates who are currently leading communities and organizations across North America, Europe and Israel.

Rabba Dina Brawer studied Torah in Jerusalem, New York and London. Dina’s life journey led her to do things she never dreamed of, including launching an Orthodox feminist movement in the UK and studying for Orthodox semikha (rabbinic ordination) at Yeshivat Maharat in NY - she received semikha earlier this year.

Rav Rahel Berkovits introduces Terumah, the special gift given to priests, exploring holiness and the blurring of boundaries.

Rahel Berkovits teaches Mishnah, Talmud and halakha, at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem. Rahel writes and lectures in both Israel and abroad on topics concerning women and Jewish law. She is the Halakhic Editor for TaShma, JOFA’s Halakhic Source-guide Series. Rahel is a founding member of Shirah Hadasha, a halakhic partnership minyan, and serves on their halakha committee. In June 2015, Rahel received Rabbinic Ordination from Rabbis Herzl Hefter and Daniel Sperber.

Judith Levitan opens up masekhet Temurah, unpacking how its laws give us a framework to negotiate between our competing urges: the desire to give love, and the desire to preserve ourselves.

Judith Levitan lives in Sydney Australia. She holds degrees in Law and Social Work from the University of NSW. Her honours thesis examined community attitudes to domestic violence in the Orthodox Jewish community. She has worked for the last 10 years in the social justice sector as a lawyer, community legal education coordinator, facilitator and project manager. Judith has studied at Midreshet HaRova and Nishmat, and is currently an off site student at Yeshivat Maharat in New York.

Rabba Dr. Carmella Abraham looks into masekhet Ohalot, reflecting on end of life experiences and inviting us to see the taharah (purity) behind the tumah (impurity).

This YourTorah episode is dedicated by Rabba Dr. Carmella Abraham in memory of her mother Livana bat David ve'Batsheva z"l.

With a medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and semikha (ordination) from Yeshivat Maharat, Rabba Dr. Carmella Abraham brings her background as a physician to her study of Jewish texts and practice. While at Yeshivat Maharat, she developed and co-taught the Women’s Health and Niddah curriculum, as well as interned at the Hillels of Westchester, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital Chaplaincy Program and served as a Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Created Equal Seminar Fellowship. As a member of the Women’s Health Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, she held a dual appointment in Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Rabba Dr. Carmella currently serves as Community Educator in Westchester and works in Oncology Medical Affairs for the pharmaceutical industry. She lives in White Plains, New York with her husband, Dr. Steven Kubersky, and their three children.

Nina Kretzmer Seed introduces masekhet Eruvin (regarding carrying on Shabbat), exploring how we set - and extend - our boundaries.

Nina Kretzmer Seed is a Jewish educator who loves to study and teach rabbinic literature. Nina holds a Bachelor's degree in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a Bachelor's degree in French Translation from Barnard College. She also has Master's degrees in Jewish Education and Jewish Studies from New York University. Nina lives with her husband in Riverdale, New York.

Peta Jones Pellach opens up masekhet Menachot, unpacking its discussion of plant-based sacrifices and drawing out its lessons about serving God.

A founder of Limmud-Oz in Sydney and teacher in the Melton programme for many years, Peta Jones Pellach is now a Jerusalem-based educator with the Elijah Interfaith Institute. She also teaches in the Oded programme at Fuchsberg, in the community education programme at Pardes and in the Beit Midrash of Shir Hadash. Her passions are rikudei am, Scrabble, and her children and grandchildren.

Anne Gordon pulls apart Challah into bite-sized laws pertaining to bread-making.

Anne Gordon is the deputy editor of Ops & Blogs at The Times of Israel. Her bachelors in History and Philosophy and masters in Judaic Studies are from Harvard University, and she is pursuing a slow doctorate in girls’ Talmud education. An alumna of the Drisha Scholars Circle, Anne studied in Jerusalem's women’s batei midrash. She has taught widely, including at Matan, Midreshet HaRova, Yeshivah of Flatbush High School, YUHSG (Central), Kohelet, Maimonides, and Drisha Institute. Anne is a founding member of Chochmat Nashim.

Davida Kollmar introduces masekhet Bava Metzia, highlighting the emphasis it places on treating other people fairly through fair interest rates, ethical working conditions and so forth.

Davida Kollmar is the programme administrator for the Center for Modern Torah Leadership and a tutor for Statistics and Hebrew/Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University's Katz School. She formerly taught Halakhah and Physics Lab at Yeshiva University High School for Girls. She is a graduate of Nishmat Shana Ba'Aretz, Stern College for Women, and GPATS (Stern College's Masters in Biblical and Talmudic Interpretation).

Rabbi Dr Meesh Hammer-Kossoy explains Ma'aser Sheni as the workings of the oldest layaway plan for family holidays in Jerusalem and how that is relevant to Jewish religious life.

Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy teaches Talmud and directs the Social Justice Track at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, an open, co-ed and non-denominational Jewish learning community where students encounter and grapple with classic texts and traditions of Judaism, while exploring their relevance to today's most pressing issues. Meesh was among the first cohort of Orthodox female rabbis ordained in June 2015. Meesh also serves as Director of Admissions and of Social Action, and writes an on-line course for the ICJW (International Council of Jewish Women). She has a PhD in Talmud from NYU.

Nechama Goldman Barash introduces masekhet Niddah, tracing the laws governing sexual intimacy from their origins in Torah, through to their explication in the Mishnah - and their application today.

NB: This episode contains sexually explicit material

Nechama Goldman Barash is a senior faculty member at Machon Pardes, Matan and Midreshet Torah V'avodah - three learning institutions in Jerusalem. She has been studying Talmud and rabbinic texts for the last thirty years and in the last seven years has dedicated her time to studying Halakhah intensively.

Leah Shakdiel introduces masekhet Tamid, opening up its account of daily Temple worship, and noting the importance of continually striving to link our ancestors' spirituality with our own.

Leah Shakdiel was born in Jerusalem in 1951 to a family of Modern Orthodox pioneers. She moved to Yeruham, a small development town in the Negev Desert, in 1978, with a group committed to Halacha, social responsibility, peace, and ecology. She is married to psychologist Dr. Moshe Landsman, and is mother of Rachel (36), Tzvi (34), and Pinchas (32), and grandmother of Toviya (13), Channah (11), Miriam (10), and Batya (6).

Leah has a BA from Bar Ilan University in English and French Literatures. Her other studies include Bible and Oral Law, Jewish Thought, Jewish History, and Education. She taught Hebrew and Jewish studies, developed teaching materials, trained teachers, coordinated and directed projects and institutions in the areas of education and community. She has taught courses on Jewish feminism, state and religion, and Israeli society, at the Schechter Institute and at Sapir College.

Leah is socially and politically active on behalf of peace, empowering the disadvantaged, civil and human rights, and feminism. She has published academic and popular articles in all these areas. She served as the first Yeruham town council female member ever (1983-8), and in 1988 became Israel’s first female member of a local Religious Council, following a successful struggle that ended with a landmark Supreme Court decision. As a School for Educational Leadership Fellow (1994-6) she developed a model for feminist pedagogy for Israel. She is the recipient of the Yig'al Alon Prize for Lifework as Pioneer (2009), the Israeli Parliament Distinction for Women Leading Change (twice, 1999, 2015), and the New Israel Fund UK Prize for Human Rights (2014). She currently teaches in various post-high school pre-military programmes, and is studying towards Orthodox rabbinical ordination in Beit Midrash Har'el, Jerusalem.

Felicia Epstein introduces masekhet Pesachim, exploring Pesach as one of the equalizing festivals, and illustrating the development of the Seder as it exists today, from the time of the Mishnah.

Felicia Epstein works as a lawyer specializing in labour law in London. She lectures on biblical and midrashic texts and is a founder of the Kol Rina Minyan. She did graduate work in the Bible focusing on commentaries and comparative legal institutions at Bar Ilan University and studied at other Yeshivot in Israel and lectured widely on biblical textual analysis in Israel at a number of institutions including Yakar, Matan, Midreshet Harovah, and the Ulpanat Gadera.

Sarah Charak is a student of history and law at the University of Sydney. She learned at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem, and has worked since then as Educational Director of Bnei Akiva Australia and the Australian Zionist Youth Council, and is currently part of the Limmud Oz team. Her favourite job is teaching Bat Mitzva girls to leyn and learn Torah.

Yardaena Osband opens up masekhet Meilah, unpacking the laws surrounding the accidental misuse of consecrated objects.

Yardaena Osband, MD is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. Yardaena studied for two years at Midreshet Lindenbaum and received her BA in Jewish Studies and Music at Yeshiva University, Stern College for Women. Yardaena attended medical school at the Sackler School for medicine and completed her residency in Pediatrics at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York. She has taught in many schools, synagogues, and has been a scholar in residence in many communities. She lectures on Tanach, Halacha, and Talmud with a specific interest in the biographies of the Taanim and Amoraim. Yardaena also serves on the board of ORA (Organization for the Resolution of Agunot), The Riverdale Minyan and is a founder of the Orthodox Leadership Project. Yardaena currently resides in Riverdale, New York with husband and children.

Rabba Yaffa Epstein introduces masekhet Ta'anit, looking at communal fast days as reparative following destructive behaviour, and the ever-pressing call to wake up and rebuild the world.

Rabba Yaffa Epstein serves as the Director of Education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. She received Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and holds a Law Degree from Bar-Ilan University. She has studied at the Pardes Kollel, the Advanced Talmud Institute at Matan and the Talmud Department of Hebrew University.

Yaffa has been a teacher of Talmud, Jewish law, and Liturgy at Pardes for over a decade, and has served as the Director of the Beit Midrash at the Dorot Fellowship in Israel. She has taught Talmud and Jewish Law at Yeshivat Maharat, The Drisha Institute, The Wexner Heritage New Members Institute, Kayam Farm Kollel and Young Judaea. Yaffa has lectured at Limmud events around the world, has written curriculum for the Global Day of Jewish Learning and has created innovative educational programming for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.

Shayna Abramson dives into masekhet Zavim, unpacking its laws of ritual impurity, and demonstrating that even texts that may seem irrelevant to our lives have the capacity to teach us moral truths.

Shayna Abramson is a native New Yorker and an alumni of Midreshet Harova and of Drisha's Beit Midrash programme. She is currently pursuing Masters degrees in Politics and Jewish Education from Hebrew University.

Dina Brawer, JOFA UK founder, explains what inspires the #YourTorah podcast, inviting you to join her on a journey.

Dina Brawer studied Torah in Jerusalem, New York and London. Dina’s life journey led her to do things she never dreamed of, including launching an Orthodox feminist movement in the UK and studying for Orthodox semikha (rabbinic ordination)at Yeshivat Maharat in NY, where she now is in her final year.

Leah introduces masekhet Sheviit which details the laws of shmitah, the sabbatical year, exploring charity to and through the land, the remission of loans and generosity.

Leah Sarna is a fourth year student at Yeshivat Maharat, a Wexner Graduate Fellow and a Mishnah junkie. Leah has taught Torah to adults and teens around the world, stretching from New York City to London, Tel Aviv and Melbourne. She works as the Congregational Intern at the Hebrew Institute of White Plains in White Plains, NY, and lives with her husband in New York City.

Leah mentions a few organizations at the end of the episode. Check them out here:

• Hazon works to create healthy and sustainable communities
• Hebrew Free Loans societies offer interest-free loans to help people with temporary financial needs
• Kiva is a global organization which alleviates poverty through lending

Dr. Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz introduces Seder Tohorot, looking into its exploration of the purity system, and noting the way it marks the boundaries between life and death.

Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz studied archaeology at Cambridge and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and recently completed a PhD at University College London on the religious lives of Orthodox Jewish women, which will be published as a book. She is a Teaching Fellow at London School of Jewish Studies, an occasional lecturer at Cambridge and Oxford, edits academic books, is involved in Scriptural Reasoning and interfaith activity, and has taught young & old in the Jewish community for the past 15 years.

Shira Hecht-Koller opens up Seder Kodashim, introducing its discussion about sacrifices, and considering the role sacrifices play in Jewish life and thought.

Shira Hecht-Koller is the Director of Communal Engagement at Drisha. She has taught Talmud, Jewish Identity and Comparative Ethics, most recently at SAR High School. She is a founding member of the Orthodox Leadership Project and was a Paradigm Fellow at the Paideia Institute of Jewish Studies in Stockholm. She is currently a Fellow in the Senior Educators Cohort of M², The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education. She writes and speaks on topics of Jewish Law and Education, and creative living and family life.

This episode is dedicated by Shira Hecht-Koller the memory of Esther Zuroff z"l (her husband's grandmother), who passed away on February 2, 2018, 17 Shevat 5778. Before moving to Israel she was longtime Director of Students Services at Stern College, beloved by thousands of students for her hospitality, friendship, keen intellect and sharp wit. May her memory be elevated by this learning.

Rachel Weber Leshaw rolls up her sleeves and unpacks masekhet Beitzah's discussion of the intricacies of the rules of preparing food on Yom Tov, noting the way in which halakhah can change based on contemporary practices.

Rachel Weber Leshaw lives in Jerusalem where she teaches Talmud and halakhah. She is a graduate of Nishmat's Keren Ariel Yoetzet Halachah training program, as well as Yeshiva University's Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies. She has taught Torah in various educational institutions in Israel, as well as in Houston, Texas, and Princeton University's Center for Jewish Life. She and her husband David are the parents of Josh and Annaelle, who will start learning mishnah pretty soon.

Yardaena Osband introduces Tevul Yom, looking into how different statuses - for instance that of the tevul yom - impact when and how a person imparts impurity.

Yardaena Osband, MD is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. Yardaena studied for two years in Midreshet Lindenbaum and received her BA in Jewish Studies and Music at Yeshiva University, Stern College for Women. Yardaena attended medical school at the Sackler School for medicine and completed her residency in Pediatrics at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York. She has taught in many schools, synagogues, and has been a scholar in residence in many communities. She lectures on Tanach, Halacha, and Talmud with a specific interest in the biographies of the Taanim and Amoraim. Yardaena also serves on the board of ORA (Organization for the Resolution of Agunot), The Riverdale Minyan and is a founder of the Orthodox Leadership Project. Yardaena currently resides in Riverdale, New York with her husband and children.

Dr. Devorah Schoenfeld looks into masekhet Bava Kamma, highlighting its discussion of how to live in a world in which we sometimes fall, and how to take responsibility for our role in it.

Dr. Devorah Schoenfeld is Associate Professor of Jewish Theology at Loyola University Chicago, a Jesuit Catholic University. She is also a student in the Yeshivat Maharat Kollel. Her book Isaac on Jewish and Christian Altars (Fordham, 2012) compares Jewish and Christian medieval approaches to the near-sacrifice of Isaac, and she has also written on Midrash, dream interpretation, and Jewish-Christian relations.

Leah Sarna introduces seder Zeraim, the first 'order' of the Mishnah and guides us through the range of topics that are covered by the 11 books or masekhtot in seder Zeraim.

Leah Sarna is a fourth year student at Yeshivat Maharat, a Wexner Graduate Fellow and a Mishnah junkie. Leah has taught Torah to adults and teens around the world, stretching from New York City to London, Tel Aviv and Melbourne. She works as the Congregational Intern at the Hebrew Institute of White Plains in White Plains, NY, and lives with her husband in New York City.

Dr. Elana Stein Hain opens up masekhet Chullin and its discussions of slaughtering meat, suggesting that eating is akin to offering sacrifices.

Dr. Elana Stein Hain is the Scholar in Residence and Director of Faculty at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. She served as clergy at Lincoln Square Synagogue and the Jewish Center, received her PhD in Religion at Columbia University, and is an alumna of GPATS and the Cardozo Interdisciplinary Fellowship, both at Yeshiva University. She lives with her family in NYC.

This YourTorah episode is dedicated by Elana Stein Hain in honour of Rabbi Ozer Glickman z"l who passed away a couple of weeks ago. Rabbi Glickman was a larger than life figure who impressed upon Elana the importance of the relationship between the sacred and the mundane.

Lea Taragin-Zeller traces Seder Nezikin's journey from personal law, to the Jewish court of law, to individuals' ideological behaviour, noting how it highlights our responsibility to treat everyone with respect.

Lea Taragin-Zeller is a Jewish chaplain at Cambridge University. She is also a research fellow at the Woolf Institute, where she is currently working on a comparative study about female authority and leadership in contemporary Judaism and Islam.

Rachel Weber Leshaw leads us through the system of tithing produce detailed in masekhet Ma'asrot, exploring the right time to snack, and the importance of judging cases individually.

Rachel Weber Leshaw lives in Jerusalem where she teaches Talmud and halachah. She is a graduate of Nishmat's Keren Ariel Yoetzet Halachah training programme, as well as Yeshiva University's Graduate Programme in Advanced Talmudic Studies. She has taught Torah in various educational institutions in Israel, as well as in Houston, Texas, and Princeton University's Center for Jewish Life. She and her husband David are the parents of Josh and Annaelle, who will start learning mishnah pretty soon.

This #YourTorah episode is dedicated by Rachel Weber Leshaw in honour of her grandmothers, Paula Weber and Sabina Shmidman, who inspire her with their commitment to lifelong Torah learning and dedication to family.

Rav Rahel Berkovits introduces masekhet Shekalim, looking at the Temple tax and the importance of communal responsibility.

Rav Rahel Berkovits teaches Mishnah, Talmud and halakha, at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem. Rahel writes and lectures in both Israel and abroad on topics concerning women and Jewish law. She is the Halakhic Editor for TaShma, JOFA’s Halakhic Source Guide Series. Rahel is a founding member of Shira Hadasha, a halakhic partnership minyan, and serves on their halakha committee. In June 2015, Rahel received Rabbinic Ordination from Rabbis Herzl Hefter and Daniel Sperber.

Rabba Dr. Carmella Abraham introduces masekhet Kinnim, encouraging listeners to work through its complex mishnayot using logic and reasoning.

With a medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and semikha (ordination) from Yeshivat Maharat, Rabba Dr. Carmella Abraham brings her background as a physician to her study of Jewish texts and practice. While at Yeshivat Maharat, she developed and co-taught the Women’s Health and Niddah curriculum, as well as interned at the Hillels of Westchester, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital Chaplaincy Program and served as a Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Created Equal Seminar Fellowship. As a member of the Women’s Health Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, she held a dual appointment in Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Rabba Dr. Carmella currently serves as Community Educator in Westchester and works in Oncology Medical Affairs for the pharmaceutical industry. She lives in White Plains, New York with her husband, Dr. Steven Kubersky, and their three children.

Leah Rosenthal presents masekhet Kelim, exploring its discussion of the purity of objects and noting the way physical objects act as a portal into daily life in Mishnaic times.

Leah Rosenthal has been teaching Talmud at the Pelech High School for Girls and at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem for over thirty years. She has a BA in Talmud and Jewish Philosophy, and an MA in Jewish Education, both from the Hebrew University.

Nechama Goldman Barash opens up Seder Nashim, giving an overview of the ever-relevant areas it covers: levirate marriage, procreation, family relationships, marriage and divorce, death and inheritance, and time-bound mitzvot.

Nechama Goldman Barash is a senior faculty member at Pardes, Matan and Midreshet Torah v'Avodah - three learning institutions in Jerusalem. She has been studying Talmud and rabbinic texts for the last thirty years and in the last seven years has dedicated her time to studying Halakhah intensively.

This YourTorah episode is dedicated by Nechama Goldman Barash to the memory of her mother Risa Goldman, and her grandmothers Sophie Ebert and Dorothy Goldman who raised her to be a confident, articulate woman studying and teaching Torah.

Ellyse Borghi introduces masekhet Mikvaot, looking at the way in which the mikvah serves as a reminder of our role in the world as creators seeking to emulate the Divine.

Ellyse Borghi is a children's lawyer by day and a Torah learner and teacher by night. Ellyse is in her second year of studies for Orthodox smicha through Yeshivat Har'El in Jerusalem. Some of the more distant places where Ellyse has taught Torah are Hong Kong, Ghana and Canberra. She is passionate about working to release Agunot and is a member of Shira Chadasha Melbourne.

Maharat Rachel Kohl Finegold finishes off Seder Zeraim with masekhet Bikkurim, linking the ritual of bringing the first fruits with participation and equal opportunity.

Maharat Rachel Kohl Finegold is the Director of Education and Spiritual Enrichment at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal. She received her B.A. in Religion from Boston University and is a graduate of the Drisha Scholars Circle in New York. She was ordained as part of the inaugural class of Yeshivat Maharat, the first institution to train Orthodox women as clergy. Originally from New York, Rachel lives in Montreal with her husband, Rabbi Avi Finegold, and their three daughters.

Dina Brawer introduces Masekhet Pe'ah, the second book in the order of Zeraim detailing 5 different agricultural gifts due to the poor and their relevance for today's charitable giving.

Dina Brawer studied Torah in Jerusalem, New York and London. Dina’s life journey led her to do things she never dreamed of, including launching an Orthodox feminist movement in the UK and studying for Orthodox semikha (rabbinic ordination) at Yeshivat Maharat in NY, where she now is in her final year.

Claudia Marbach introduces masekhet Sukkah, using the laws of Sukkot to show that fulfilling God's commandments isn't always straightforward - sometimes we get it right, and sometimes things go awry.

Claudia Marbach is a fourth year student at Yeshivat Maharat, NY. She has launched a pop-up beit midrash for women in Boston, called One Night Shtender. Before Yeshivat Maharat, Claudia was a middle school teacher at JCDS Boston, a pluralistic Jewish Day School, for fifteen years, where she developed a Rabbinics curriculum. She founded a partnership minyan and participates in interfaith dialogue. Claudia received her BA in English from Barnard College, and JD from Boston University.

Shira Eliassian opens up masekhet Middot, taking us on an audio-visual tour of the Temple, and exploring how studying this masekhet serves as a psychological surrogate for making our pilgrimage there.

• Entry on Temple in Rabbinic Literature on JewishEncyclopedia.com - This article includes an overview of Har HaBayit and the Azarah with labels in English.

• Overview of the Azarah with labels in Hebrew.

• Virtual Tour of Temple on YouTube - There's sappy music in the background and doesn't include labels, but helps to visualize the entire Har HaBayit.

• BONUS: Digitized version of Maimonides' Commentary on the Mishnah, courtesy of the Polonsky Foundation and the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. This is a manuscript authored by Maimonides himself, and is the first recorded attempt to translate the text of Middot into diagrams. The link will direct you to the beginning of his commentary on Middot.

Shira Eliassian is currently pursuing a Masters in Religion at University of Chicago's Divinity School. Her studies focus on how religion is expressed through literature and visual culture. Shira has created programming and online education for JOFA and is currently editor of The JOFA Blog. This March she visited the UK as JOFA UK's Be'er Miriam scholar.

Meira Welt-Maarek looks into masekhet Bava Batra, drawing out the key themes of boundaries and responsibility.

Meira Welt-Maarek teaches Talmud at Beit Midrash Arevot under the auspices of the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Recently completed a Clinical Pastoral Education unit from the Schwartz Center, providing halakhic & spiritual guidance alongside a hospital rabbi, as well as accompanying dementia patients and those struggling with mental health. She is a graduate of Drisha’s Scholars Circle, Shalom Hartman Institute & the Women’s Institute of Halakhic Leadership at Midreshet Lindenbaum.

This YourTorah episode is dedicated by Meira Welt-Maarek to her Aunt Naomi & Uncle Shlomo Mayer, who opened their house and hearts to enable her study of Torah. Blessing Shlomo Yisroel ben Sarah with a complete healing of body & soul.

Cecilia Haendler introduces masekhet Parah, unpacking the ritual of the red heifer and exploring how it creates a mysterious and powerful bridge to Oral Torah.

Cecilia Haendler, born in Florence, Italy, lives in Paris with her husband Yair and is doing a PhD on gendered metaphorical language in Tannaitic literature at the Freie Universität Berlin. For the series A Feminist Commentary on the Babylonian Talmud she is writing about Hallah, Orlah and Bikkurim. She has worked as a research associate in the project A Digital Synopsis of the Mishnah and Tosefta and she has learned at the Nishmat Center for Advanced Torah Study.

Dena Weiss introduces masekhet Arakhin, delving into Temple valuations and how we value people, and tracing the Mishnah's logic through its discussion of cases that demand one to be strict and cases where one can be less strict.

Dena Weiss is the Rosh Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Hadar, a Halakhic, gender-Egalitarian and non-denominational full-time learning programme in NYC. She received her BA from NYU, and her MA from Harvard Divinity School. She teaches Talmud, Hassidut, and Midrash.

Rachel Rosenthal examines the ways in which sacrifices can be rendered invalid, and considers the role of a person's intentions when offering a sacrifice and the lessons we can draw from tractate Zevachim when sacrifices are no longer offered.

Rachel Rosenthal is a PhD candidate in Rabbinic Literature at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she is writing a dissertation on rabbinic models of moral education. A graduate of the Drisha Scholars Circle, she serves as an adjunct lecturer in the Talmud department at JTS, and teaches at Drisha and Nishma. Her writing has been published in Tablet, the Forward, and eJewish Philanthropy, and she has taught Torah throughout the United States.

Wendy Amsellem opens Seder Moed with an overview of masekhet Shabbat, looking at some of the intricacies of prohibited practices, and exploring what it means to legislate rest.

Wendy Amsellem teaches at Yeshivat Maharat and Drisha. She is a graduate of the Drisha Scholars Circle and received her BA from Harvard University. She is a member of JOFA's Advisory Board.

Maharat Rachel Kohl Finegold introduces masekhet Keritot, exploring sins, their punishments and how karet can be instructive, informing our connectedness.

Maharat Rachel Kohl Finegold is the Director of Education and Spiritual Enrichment at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal. She received her B.A. in Religion from Boston University and is a graduate of the Drisha Scholars Circle in New York. She was ordained as part of the inaugural class of Yeshivat Maharat, the first institution to train Orthodox women as clergy. Originally from New York, Rachel lives in Montreal with her husband, Rabbi Avi Finegold, and their three daughters.