Jewish Women You Should Know

The constellation of Chassidic heroes is crowded with great men. Less well known are the great women, whose influence has rarely been documented.

When the story broke that the daughter of a Cambodian princess was celebrating her bat mitzvah in Phnom Penh, the Jewish world wondered: Who is this Cambodian princess, and how did she become Jewish? Here is the story of Susie (Sarah Bracha) Koroghli, granddaughter of His Majesty King Sisowath Monivong, who ruled Cambodia from 1927 until his death in 1941.

The world has lost a rare gem, and we miss her terribly. However, we know that her soul lives on, and the greatest tribute we can give to Nechama is to emulate her kindness, gratitude, faith in each child, and her positivity and trust in G‑d.

Her reach extended not only to her family, but far beyond, to the many people she touched during her lifetime.

Recently, a paratrooper sent a message to a friend who was about to serve in Hebron. “There’s a lady you’ll always see at the post with cookies and treats, a Chabad lady; she’s really nice and caring. There’s nothing better you can do than go to the Beit Chabad. It’s one of the best experiences you can get as a soldier.”

Noah speaks softly, kindly, like an old friend, though we’ve never met before. Her words are interrupted every now and then, as she graciously greets the women who drop in to warm themselves with a hot cup of tea, a slice of kosher cake and the coziness of a Jewish home.

Two aspects of her fruitful life are particularly intriguing. She is a prolific author of both whimsical children’s and more reflective adult books. And some 24 years ago, she and her husband adopted and raised two infants with Down syndrome only 4½ months apart in age.

Many would be tempted to wallow in self-pity or anger. But the couple has heroically risen to the challenge.

Donna Miller’s daily planner reads a bit different than most. Meetings with lawyers and probation officers. Intake of young man addicted to cocaine. Therapy session with family torn apart by Dad’s gambling. Just another day in the life of the director of the Chabad Residential Treatment Center of Los Angeles.

People would line up outside to partake of Henny’s food and bask in the warmth and comfort of a spiritually uplifting Shabbat—many for the first time in their lives.

As Michal Levitin gets up on stage to perform, the audience bursts out laughing. She hasn’t even opened her mouth yet.

Dr. Miriam Grossman is a woman with a mission. A life-saving one. A non-politically correct one that has won her ardent fans wanting to see her be the next Surgeon General—and vociferous detractors clamoring that she is out of touch with reality, that her license should be revoked.

How can a mother, a family, continue living after such a tragic event?

She was such a natural educator, empowering and building people up, because that is what she saw: their traits, their talents, their potential, and where that could lead.

Thanks to her commitment to animal health and Jewish values, Dr. Lisa Tager makes the world better, one cow at a time.

The first thing I was shown was her picture. Unquestionably, she was a very beautiful woman. She was stunning. And yet, there was something about her that was so graceful, so royal, so holy.

“Why are you asking forgiveness?” the Rebbetzin exclaimed. “My husband and I were sent to this world to serve people in need twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week...”

My parents taught me that if the Jews want to keep the Land of Israel, then we must fight for the Land of Israel...

As I looked around at my surroundings, I was amazed at the sight. Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, uncles, aunts, cousins, second cousins, hundreds upon hundreds of Bubbe's descendents all around me...

How Rivky, amidst dealing with her personal tragedy, running a Chabad house, teaching classes, caring for Moshe, and cooking meals for dozens of people daily, had extra hours available for talking is a mystery...

Then this gal showed up on the hit TV show, The Big Bang Theory as a modest-dressing neurobiologist nerd. How she managed to convince the producers to let her character dress in a skirt that covers her knees is remarkable...

She was wearing a funky, multicolored tunic and a wooly green skirt with a pair of big, black Doc Martin boots. "Alright…" I thought...

Chaya does not bring people together for marriage, but to save lives. Her couples will not meet under the chuppah, but in the operating room.Chaya is known throughout the world as the uniquely dedicated, unstoppable Kidney Matchmaker...

Weiner is clearly no conventional Jewish mother: A successful standup comic, she performs at Manhattan comedy clubs and for audiences across the tristate area . . .

I had always known the importance of Bikkur Cholim, the mitzvah of visiting the sick. But I hadn't realized until that day how many different ways it can be done, and how all of our individual talents and abilities can be an integral part of the mitzvah as well....

Asher Lev certainly wouldn't believe it- but women of all backgrounds are embracing this Orthodox filmmaker and her vision...

In trying to integrate ourselves into our newcommunity, I have also been trying to integrate my old self into who I have become. I still have a deep passion for martial arts and I greatly look forward to the day I can teach my children Tae Kwon Do. But truth be told, my goals extend far beyond the passing over of a few good techniques...

Next to Mrs. Geisinsky's picture are the words, "My teacher once told me that if you love what you do you will never work a day in your life. I have yet to work a day." We will be forever grateful for the wonder and warmth that Mrs. Geisinsky instilled into our children and into our lives and will miss her dearly...

A rare peek into the everyday life of a Lubavitch emmisary to Russia's Far East...

"I'm going to be a rock star!" I knew this was my life's mission, and so, at the age of fifteen I embarked on my journey, never looking back...

"Wouldn't it be cool to publish a magazine for Jewish girls?" My friend was used to my constant flow of ambitious but usually impractical ideas, so she simply responded, "Yeah, but we could never do it." And that was it...

Like their mother, both Yisroel Meir and Eliyahu have chosen to be survivors. Both boys have defied medical odds that were stacked against them. With music, laughter, and above all, a deep, lasting love and faith, Yona and her sons have created a magical life of their own...

With 46 years of midwifery experience and over 30,000 babies under her belt, Mrs. Deevon is almost certainly the most prolific and senior midwife in all of Israel...

She spends her work hours bringing hope, understanding, and healing to some very special families with some very special needs. Her name is Tali Berman, she is the founder and director of Meir Autism in Israel, and she is a woman you should know...

Rachel Factor grew up in Honolulu as Tina Horii. She was always spiritually driven, but didn't find the outlet she needed until she discovered dance...

Ten years ago this past March, my husband Jim and I lost our first born, Corey, to Neiman Pick (NP) Disease, a severe and currently incurable neurodegenerative disorder, at the young age of two and half...

The cancer had returned after only five years. This time, Meryl chose to undergo a double mastectomy, in addition to chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery. It was the one choice that Meryl feels gave her the best chance at survival, and she has never had any regrets...

Shaina Ettel is no stranger to a world where talents are used competitively. Starting out as a little girl with a remarkably clear and precise voice, she has been singing for audiences since she was three years old...

The memories of my mother when she was young, strong and fearless are fading. I'm struggling to remember the spark - a fierceness and Herculean strength emanating from her all knowing eyes...

In one corner stood a multitude of canes and walking sticks. This was the first of many visits with Yetta, an eighty-two-year-old Holocaust survivor. We sat down on her patterned couch, and soon, she began to talk...

For Esther Tauby of Richmond, BC, listening is a way of life. Her own tragic experiences of losing two children have enabled her to reach out to others in distress. She has finely honed her listening skills so that she can hear the silent cries of a child in emotional pain...

These are people that come into our lives for only a brief moment and stay for an eternity. Tamara Davitashvili was such a woman...

Yitzchak, so grateful for the wife he was bestowed, nominated her for this distinction. "When you have little to give, but don't stop giving, that's special. And that's my wife."

Ask Eileen Sklaroff for a tour of the offices of the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society (FHBS) and she'll invite you to her see her home and ask you to stay for dinner...

This was back in 1965, when women doctors were indeed a rarity, and Miss Flanagan could not conceive of them at all...

"I realized that if four women in my community gave birth that year, then among them there would likely be a woman and a family suffering in silence from this debilitating illness..."

"If it was raining outside, she taught the kids about weather and rain. She taught them about the world around them..."

Susie Solomon. A nice Jewish girl, like me? Who loves horses? What were the odds back in the day? Some people thought her a dreamer, not very practical and maybe a little crazy. Well, we know that "a little crazy" can be a very good thing, at times...

"For every ounce of effort we give these children, they give back tenfold." Chaya is the mother of six biological children, including a son with Down Syndrome and three adopted kids with Down Syndrome who were tragically abandoned by their parents at birth or shortly afterwards

For over forty years she has been teaching in Melbourne, Australia.What struck me was how happy she was, teaching, never complaining, and always offering to have students join her family's Shabbat dinner table. I did not know then the true extent of her social and educational efforts on behalf of the community...

Every Saturday, as the afternoon begins to draw to an end, some of the University of Toledo women's basketball players prepare to make a phone call. When the sun finally sets, they dial their teammate. "Naama, it's time to come out and play!" they sing to her...

As I watched Rebbetzin Leah and became inspired by her strong faith I mused about the past experiences that formed this woman standing before me…

Mrs. Charlotte Rohr, a devoted mother and grandmother who nurtured a family with philanthropic interests spanning the globe, died in her hometown of Bal Harbour, Fla., on Monday after a long illness.

The women gathering in the lobby shared a buzz of excitement. They were a broad mix of ages, backgrounds and styles, from the soccer mom suburbanites to the funky hipsters to the accomplished professionals...

The Canadian musicologist and mother of six supported her household and raised a family while almost single-handedly rescuing 3,228 Syrian Jews. "There were no typical days," recalls Judy...

Her voice choked with emotion, Rachel often repeated when we spoke, "G‑d is so good to me." Rachel was a Holocaust survivor who lived a life of tragedies and great challenges. Yet she always clung to her faith and was grateful for the blessings she had...

It’s not every day that one is privileged to sit across from a woman whose life has spanned an entire century. At 105 years old, Mrs. Pollack is astonishingly attentive and aware . . .

Shaindel’s rhythmic music appeals to women of all ages. But Shaindel has a special gift in her has resonance with teenage girls. “I really write and sing especially for them. I know that many teens think—everyone else is perfect, while my life doesn’t make sense. I want them to know that, no, you’re not alone...

Batya Berg never had children of her own, but her days are filled with caring for the needs of her young charges. Some of them have no mothers, others are orphaned from their fathers; all of them are bewildered, wounded, and intimately familiar with poverty, illness and despair.

Debbie Rose is deeply involved in a unique project that brings the past to life. Knee-deep, in fact, in boxes and boxes of letters, letters her great-great-uncle received from hundreds of writers from all over the world. Only one problem. Debbie can’t read them, as they are all written in Yiddish....

Her most recent project is connecting her neighbors with the concept of giving to others. To that end, she created a one-stop resource for all the area chesed opportunities...

Greg Spurlock knows Naomi Zirkind as a woman who stays true to Jewish traditions and values while still being part of their group of military engineers. Her friends from synagogue, however, know her as a quiet and modest figure who inspires others with her wisdom and Jewish insight.

Perhaps one of Jacqui’s biggest challenges was waking up to the fact that her artistic talents are gifts from G‑d and not a direct result of her own singlehanded endeavors...

A life that coincided with the growth of Chabad-Lubavitch in America.

“I couldn’t believe I had breast cancer! I felt perfectly healthy. Physically, I took good care of myself. Spiritually, I felt I had some merits too: I had adopted four children, had changed my entire life when I became religious, and had moved countries, to top it all. I couldn’t believe that G‑d was doing this to me. I simply couldn’t understand it.”