JOFA celebrates with its graduates
The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance seeks to expand the spiritual, ritual, intellectual and political opportunities for women within the framework of halakha (Jewish law), by advocating meaningful participation and equality for women in family life, synagogues, houses of learning and Jewish communal organisations to the full extent possible.
Last year, in partnership with the Eden Centre in Jerusalem, JOFA Australia was able to establish for the first time, two all-Australian cohorts that trained women from across the country as Kallah teachers and Mikveh attendants. More than 30 Australian women, from four Aussie states and territories (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Canberra) were able to learn for the first time via the Eden Center on zoom.
The Eden Centre, located in Jerusalem (https://theedencenter.com/) offers rigorous training courses that focus on enabling all women to have a personally meaningful and welcoming experience in the mikveh. Topics covered during their course include Halacha, women’s health and intimacy issues, communication between partners and infertility.
Coincidentally, independent of JOFA Australia, the director of the Eden Center, Dr Naomi Grumet is visiting Australia for the first time and will hold events both Melbourne and Sydney as a guest of the Australian Friends of Shaare Tzedek. While here, Dr Grumet will also have a chance to meet up with the Australian Kallah teachers and Mikveh attendants she trained via JOFA Australia.
“We are so proud of the women who graduated from the Eden Center courses over the past 12 months and know that their training has allowed them to give-back to the community in much needed ways,” said JOFA Australia President Nomi Kaltmann. “Dr Naomi Grumet is an exceptional educator and visionary, and it is wonderful that the Australian community will have a chance to learn from her while she is here, particularly because the students via JOFA Australia have been able to share their learnings so widely in our community.”
Prior to JOFA Australia sponsoring the Kallah and Mikveh teacher courses via the Eden Centre in Australia there was no comprehensive framework available to women who wanted to be qualified Kallah teachers or Mikveh attendants.
“Following our successful launch in May 2021 JOFA received extensive feedback that many women felt that the teaching in these areas needed improvement and there was no designated qualification or framework that was consistent for Australian teachers,” said JOFA Australia president Nomi Kaltmann. “We are thrilled that our women have been so successful in giving back to the community with the help of the Eden Center.”
In 18 months since launching, JOFA Australia has awarded 92 scholarships to women from five Australian states and territories, with additional courses focused on mental health and opinion editorial writing.
