Maya Viswanathan

2022-23 Rising Voices Fellow Maya Viswanathan

Maya Viswanathan is a junior at University of Illinois Laboratory High School in Champaign, Illinois. She participates in her school’s math team and is a co-leader of a club at school that aims to encourage younger students, especially girls, in math. She also loves languages, and is learning German at school, and Yiddish, Hebrew, and Hindi outside of school. At her synagogue, she is one of the youth group leaders. In her free time, she loves spending time with family and friends, playing Klezmer and classical music, Israeli dancing, reading, and biking.

Blog Posts

Israeli singer Noa Kireal against sparkly blue background

Empowerment at Eurovision

Maya Viswanathan

No matter how silly the school tests and projects that stress me out are, listening to music that tells me that I have “all the power of a unicorn” makes me feel empowered.

Gold line drawings of woman, mask, and tambourine on blue and gold background

The Megillah's Two Models of Leadership

Maya Viswanathan

Megillat Esther reminds us of a different way to lead, a different way to change the world.

Line drawings of a book and pens on light blue background

Interpreting The Sun Also Rises

Maya Viswanathan

Reading The Sun Also Rises was the first time I encountered depictions of antisemitism as an almost normal part of conversation and interaction. I didn’t know how to react to it.

Collage of Gertrude Goldhaber on pink background

Women in STEM: Gertrude Goldhaber and Me

Maya Viswanathan

Just as Dr. Goldhaber wanted to personally encourage others to study science and math, I too, try to personally invite others in the hope of creating a more fun and welcoming environment. 

Blue kiddush cup on dark blue patterned background

How My Kiddush Cup Inspired Me to Celebrate

Maya Viswanathan

Even though Kiddush has traditionally been done by men and I was just a girl, I took it upon myself to make Kiddush each week. 

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Maya Viswanathan." (Viewed on November 21, 2024) <https://jwa.org/blog/author/viswanathan-maya>.