FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jerusalem, Israel — July 28, 2025 — In a bold move to reshape the landscape of Torah scholarship, Matan – The Institute for Women’s Torah Studies in Jerusalem is celebrating the publication of the first works by the members of its pioneering Kitvuni program. These newly released volumes authored by women Torah scholars—many of whom are tenured academics and professionals—represent a historic shift in the authorship of Torah and Talmudic commentary, which has traditionally been within the repertoire of [male] rabbinic voices.

The Kitvuni initiative, the first of its kind in the Jewish world, addresses a historical imbalance in Torah literature. Despite the ever-growing number of superb and experienced female Torah educators and speakers, published works of biblical scholarship, Talmudic commentary, and halakha guides by women remain strikingly rare. Matan recognized this gap in the Jewish intellectual tradition, saw the glaring need for women’s scholarship to be included in the Jewish canon, and established Kitvuni as a critical response for Jewish life today and for future generations.

Now, the fruits of that vision are emerging. The Kitvuni scholars have authored a diverse array of high-level, original works that reflect serious classical learning, critical thinking, and a contemporary lens. Published variably in both English and Hebrew, examples include: a literary, theological and political analysis of the often-overlooked books of Ezra and Nehemia by Columbia University graduate Yael Leibowitz; an exploration of the halakhic development – innovations and limitations – around the complicated laws of the agunah by UK legal scholar Dr. Chagit Blass;  how Jewish law approaches on cutting-edge medical and ethical issues such as disease prevention, obesity, gastric bypass, and more by Harvard-educated oncologist Dr. Sharon Galper Grossman.

Their chosen topics stem from passion, an intellectual thirst, and in some cases, reflect a remarkably strong level of emotional resilience. 

Dr. Achinoam Jacobs, for example, is a scholar of Rabbinic Literature, who lost her 7- year-old daughter, Rotem, to cancer. As she worked on her PhD dissertation, she saw an unexplored topic in the biblical text: depictions of God grieving and crying after the destruction of the Temple. “My interest in sermons in which God weeps was really an adaptation of the stages of mourning and finding strength for comfort for me,” she says. “This brings a different religious language to the public discourse; a different observation on grief and brokenness, without the need to immediately say that everything is fine. I realized through my own mourning experience that we can find the strength for comfort and healing in the text. There is encouragement there, both for the individual, and the entire nation, especially in times of brokenness,” she says.

Dr. Merav Suissa, a lecturer in Talmud and scholar at Bar Ilan University, has been studying Talmud intensively with her father since a young age. A resident of Shuva, close to the Gaza border, Suissa and her six children, were evacuated after the October 7th massacre, and lived in a hotel for more than six months. During this time, she managed to write her manuscript, which explores a literary interpretation to the spiritual and conceptual layers of specific Talmudic tractates.

The new publications are already attracting the attention of rabbis, poskim (legal decisors), medical professionals, educators, and community leaders seeking sophisticated, original perspectives on Torah topics that they can incorporate into their own work.

The Kitvuni program offers a subsidy and writing support to high-caliber scholars who wish to dedicate time to serious Torah learning and writing. Thus far, there are eighteen publications in process, with more to come.

In a time when the Jewish world is seeking both continuity and renewal, Kitvuni stands as a model for what’s possible when the gates of authorship are opened to women whose Torah knowledge and lived experience make their voices not only necessary—but indispensable.

For the full list of Kitvuni fellows and their publications, see https://www.matan.org.il/en/beit-midrash/kitvuni/

For media inquiries, interviews with authors, or to request review copies, please contact:

Yehudit Singer-Freud, publicist:

Yehudit@SingerPublicity | +972.54.617.0773