Rising Voices Blog Posts

Rising Voices

Learn more about the Rising Voices Fellowship, JWA's thought-leadership program for young Jewish women and non-binary teens.
Collage with Maroon Background and Illustrated Young Woman Carrying a Menorah

“All Too Well”: How I Went From Embarrassed to Proud of My Jewish Identity

Amanda Xinhui Malnik

What if there was a short film of my life with captions describing each stage of my relationship with Judaism, like Taylor Swift’s film for her ten-minute version of “All Too Well"?

Collage with Background of a Product Label and Foreground Illustration of a White Woman

As a Jewish Feminist, Learning How to Engage with My "First Ingredient": Whiteness

Lilly Rochlin

If I were a can, and you were to pick me up off of a grocery store shelf and scan my backside for a list of ingredients, “white” would be first.

Collage of Outlined Abstract Images: Face with Tear Drop, Candlesticks, Challah

Grief Made Me an Outsider, but Shabbat Drew Me In: How Judaism Helps Me Make Sense of Loss

Amelia Posner-Hess

Shabbat at synagogue was the one place where my grief belonged, where I belonged, after my my dad died. 

Collage of "Our Bodies, Ourselves" Book Covers

"Our Bodies, Ourselves" in 2022

Sofia Isaias-Day

As a Jewish feminist, I have a responsibility to further the movement started by the writers of Our Bodies, Ourselves.

Collage with Image of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Pen

Abolish the Death Penalty in Honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ellie Friedman

This month especially, while remembering everything RBG accomplished, we should take the time to look into the lesser known parts of Justice Ginsburg’s long career.

Collage with Image of Alix Kates Shulman at Miss America Protest at "Freedom Trash Can"

Protest Social Media's Beauty Standards in the Name of the Freedom Trash Can

Mallie Lifsitz

It’s undeniable that our current beauty standards are unattainable. I think that contemporary activists can learn from Alix Kates Shulman’s approach to this issue.

Topics: Feminism, Protests, Media
Collage with Image of Gisella Perl

Lessons From Gisella Perl, Reflections on the Texas Abortion Ban

Sarah Gorbatov

Holocaust survivor and doctor Gisella Perl's story has long been unsung; learning her story can serve all of us in our struggle for reproductive rights today.

Collage with Image of Molly Picon from "Yidn Mitn Fidl," Background of Wallpaper of Shooting Stars

Activism Through Art: Molly Picon's Legacy

Abigail Gilman

I think about Molly Picon, and how she utilized her love of storytelling to bring laughter to those who needed it, to foster pride and compassion in the Jewish community, and to fight to keep Yiddish theater alive.

Collage with Prayer Book over Background with Illustrated Fists in the Air

“Good Humans”: Leading a Mini Feminist Revolution as a Camp Songleader

Talia Bloom

Women can add, and have historically added, so much to Jewish culture and faith; I wanted this to be reflected at my camp, starting with the prayer books we read from.

Collage with Breastfeeding Outlined Figure with Blue Pomegranate Patterned Yellow Background

The Fight for Family Paid Leave: From 1919 to Today

Mira Eras

From activists like Rose Schneiderman in 1919 to activists today advocating for the paid leave section of the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill in Congress, we've been trying to change the system.

Collage of Images of Bobbie Rosenfeld and of Elle Rosenfeld's Crew Team

Bobbie Rosenfeld and Me: Athletic By Chance, Inspirational By Choice

Elle Rosenfeld

As an athletic Jewish feminist, is attacking an uncomfortable situation assertively, but quietly, an effective protest technique?

Topics: Feminism, Athletes, Media
Collage with Image of Joyce Antler and Pen Patterned Background

Looking to Joyce Antler's Writing on Reproductive Rights

Amanda Xinhui Malnik

Through Joyce Antler’s writing, I can access the work of my foremothers on reproductive rights and can follow in their footsteps.

Image of Emma Goldman Over Pomegranate Patterned Background

Anarchy, but Make It Feminist

Lucy Waldorf

As I familiarized myself with Emma Goldman's work, I realized that anarcho-feminist philosophy is so potent because both movements share the same goals.

Collage with Image of Georgia Fried and Her Siblings Holding Volunteer Certificates for 2020 Polls in Columbus, OH

I Worked the Polls During the 2021 "Off-Year" Election: Here's Why It Matters

Georgia Fried

As last year's election came and went and my disillusionment peaked, I recalled all of the Jewish women who fought to get the right to vote.

Image of Star of David Necklace Over Star of David Background

How My Star of David Necklace Helped Me Understand My Jewish Identity

Sofia Isaias-Day

The Star of David and its history helps me understand the different layers of my Jewish identity; the symbol represents the different cultures we’ve embraced as part of the diaspora.

Collage of Illustrated Woman's Profile Over Pomegranate Wallpaper

"Other": Experiences Around My Racial Identity in Jewish Teen Spaces

Hayley Asai

I'm no more or less Jewish than I'm Asian, queer, or just me. And so, when the world asks me, "What are you?" I say, "I am a Jew."

Collage of Illustrated Women Facing the Western Wall

"We Hear Us": Finding My Voice in Response to Sexism at the Western Wall

Mallie Lifsitz

The woman who helped me onto the benches that day at the Western Wall helped me to begin to find my voice.

Sarah Gorbatov in Her Grandmother’s Traditional Belarusian Clothing

"Invisibility Cloak": Uncovering My Identity as a Descendant of Soviet Jews

Sarah Gorbatov

I’m the daughter of an immigrant family, and nothing appealed to my Soviet Jewish family more than the idea of invisibility.

Collage of Michelle Wu standing in front of an orange line train

Michelle Wu: The Power of Community Activism and a Hopeful Future for Boston

Talia Bloom

As I look back on my Jewish feminist foremothers and their respective activist efforts, I see many parallels with Michelle Wu’s work on the Orange Line in Boston.

Passover-Themed Collage Featuring Matzah and Decorative Bowl

My Charoset Bowl: From Female Ancestors, to My Mom, to Me

Mira Eras

Mira Eras describes how a charoset bowl passed through generations of women in her family keeps her feeling connected to her mother's love for holiday traditions.

Topics: Feminism, Food, Passover
Collage of Images From Georgia Fried's Bat Mitzvah

Fighting to Include the Imahot at My B'nai Mitzvah

Georgia Fried

I decided that I, a thirteen year old, would convince the rabbi of my synagogue to change a rule no one else had successfully challenged.

Blue Figure Wearing Tallit in Foreground, Background of Outlined Tallitot Wallpaper

Celebrate Women Engaging in Jewish Practice—Including Wearing Tallitot

Ilah

There's a difference between being tolerated and being wanted and, for me, wearing a tallit proves that I’m wanted in the Jewish world.

Mezuzah with Clay Figures in Foreground; Pomegranate Patterned Background

My Mezuzah is a Symbol of Feminist Welcoming and Protection

Ellie Friedman

"The mezuzah represents my identity as a Jewish feminist because of its emphasis on the act of welcoming."

Illustrated Figure Holding Star of David in Hands Standing in Righthand Corner

"Jewish Enough": Hanukkah for a Small Town Interfaith Teen

Abigail Gilman

For most of my life, I’ve felt like I’m not Jewish enough.

Outlined Women Sitting in Forefront; Background of Outlined Hands Holding Protest Signs

Radical Self-Acceptance as a Jewish Lesbian Feminist

Lilly Rochlin

I’ve gathered that—to some—my presence as an openly Jewish, queer, feminist person is interpreted as a disruption that needs to be fixed.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Rising Voices Blog Posts." (Viewed on November 21, 2024) <https://jwa.org/blog/risingvoices>.