Rabba Wendy Amsellem to be hosted by JOFA
The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Australia is to host another in-person event in Melbourne with Rabba Wendy Amsellem.
Rabba Wendy Amsellem
Visiting from New York, Amsellem will be giving a comprehensive shiur on the history of women’s Torah learning.
Amsellem is a well-known scholar of Jewish text, and teaches Halakha at Yeshivat Maharat and directs The Beit Midrash Program, a joint project of Maharat and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. She also teaches regularly at Drisha, Pardes, and the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center. In addition, she has a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University.
“JOFA Australia is excited to host Rabba Wendy Amsellem in Melbourne and hear from her during her first ever visit to Australia” said JOFA Australia president, Nomi Kaltmann. “Australian women are lucky to be able to have to learn from her and hear her Torah, which is sought out by people around the world.”
Amsellem’s talk will address some of the historical challenges that women have had accessing Torah and textual study because, traditionally, most women were excluded from Torah study. In the past 100 years, women have begun to study Torah enthusiastically and over the past 50 years there has been a revolutionary shift in women’s learning. This shift has been welcomed by some and vigorously opposed by others.
“Any student who is lucky enough to learn with Rabba Wendy remembers her brilliance, erudition, and clarity in delivering complex Halachic information in a clear and concise manner. We are certain that Australian women will enjoy this opportunity,” said Kaltmann.
Amsellem will discuss shifting trends around orthodox women’s learning and explore some texts about Beruriah – the lone female Torah scholar in the Talmud and consider the challenges faced by women Torah scholars – both in Beruriah’s time and today.
“We welcome the community, both men and women, to come this shiur which will no doubt be interesting and informative,” said Kaltmann.
Tickets to the events are free and the event will be hosted in a private home in Caulfield on Tuesday 16 August 2022 at 7pm.
To book a ticket to the upcoming event the link is here: www.trybooking.com/CBHGJ
