Just For This

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.   This week, we are joined by both Yochi Rappeport and Hallel Silverman. Yochi Rappeport is Executive Director of Women of the Wall, where she advocates for the right of Jewish women of all denominations to pray, wear prayer shawls, and read from the Torah at the Western Wall (Kotel). Women of the Wall is also a long-time grantee through the YES (Youth, Education, Special Projects) Fund, WRJ’s philanthropic arm. Hallel Silverman is a leading content creator for Liberal Zionism across social media as @justhallel and a prominent figure in Israel’s protest movement for democracy. In this moment when Israel is under continued threat, we stand with the people of Israel and must remember that the Jewish people are one people.   We discuss the journeys that led Yochi and Hallel to Women of the Wall, the parallels between the fight for women’s inclusion in religious spaces in Israel and the United States, and the importance that personal connections play in organizing.   Follow Just For This on Instagram: @justforthispodcast  

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Ruth Messinger, Global Ambassador for American Jewish World Service and former Manhattan Borough President. Ruth is also a past recipient of the Dr. Jane Evans “Pursuit of Justice” Award, Women of Reform Judaism’s highest honor. We discuss the importance of moral courage when it comes to activism, female leadership within the Jewish world, and the current necessary work on immigration and refugee services. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  This week we welcome return guest Elana Arian. Elana is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader. Her new album, “If We Loved Like That,” is available on all streaming platforms. We discuss the comfort of community through song and how songs can inspire bravery and hope. We also get a live preview of the new album. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast  

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Jen Fisher, wellness expert and founder and CEO of the Wellbeing Team. Her new book, “Hope IS the Strategy,” will be available in early 2026. We discuss personal reflections on wellbeing in and outside of the office, the importance of flexible work environments, and the subjectivity of productivity. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Rachel Gildiner, Executive Director of SRE (Safety Respect Equity) Network. SRE encourages Jewish workplaces and communal spaces in becoming safe, respectful, and equitable through network building, resource sharing, and community investments. WRJ is a proud member organization and grantee of the network.  We discuss the power of relationship-based engagement, different ways to address power-based abuse in the Jewish community, and what it takes to be committed to doing this challenging systemic work. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Annie Sklaver Orenstein, cultural researcher and author of “Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner’s Guide to Grief.” Her book explores the deep and often diminished experience of sibling loss. We discuss the false correlation of closeness with grief, how grief is a true expression of love, and the power of shiva in Jewish tradition. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This, a new podcast. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  This week we are re-releasing an episode from our previous season featuring Analucía Lopezrevoredo, founder of Jewtina Y Co., an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing Latin-Jewish community, identity, and resilience. We discuss the importance of showing up for all parts of yourself, making the choice to be part of a chosen people.  Check back next week for more Just For This moments. If you’re enjoying Just For This, be sure to rate and review us wherever you listen to your podcasts. 

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Ariel Stein, founder of the blog, Ariel Loves, where she shares tips on Jewish living, home décor, and travel. Most importantly, she spreads Jewish joy in all of her work. You can follow Ariel on instagram @Ariel.Loves and @JewishFamilyMagic and check out her blog at ArielLoves.com. We discuss how to make Judaism accessible for young families, spreading positive Jewish content, and instilling Jewish pride in children. Just For This will be off next week, but still tune in for a special repeat episode from season 2! Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Orly Erez Likhovski, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center(IRAC), the public and legal advocacy arm of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism. IRAC is also a long-standing grantee of Women of Reform Judaism's YES Fund. We discuss the importance of a liberal Jewish voice in Israel and the efforts toward a shared society between Arabs and Israelis, even as the war continues. We also discuss the importance of voting in the U.S. election to the World Zionist Congress; voting closes May 4, 2025. Visit www.zionistelection.org to vote or www.vote4reform.org to learn more about the importance of standing up for our Reform values in Israel. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast  

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Rabbi Miriam Wajnberg, Director of Professional Development at 18Doors. 18Doors empowers people in interfaith relationships, individuals, couples, families, and their children to engage in Jewish life and make Jewish choices and encourages Jewish communities to welcome them in. We discuss the evolution of interfaith couples within the global Jewish community and how to best create a community of belonging, rather than othering individuals. Learn more about WRJ’s recent constitutional revisions extending our membership parameters. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.   Our guest this week is award-winning author Dara Horn. She has authored six books, including the best-seller, “People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present.” She is the recipient of three National Jewish Book Awards, and has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.  We discuss the success of “People Love Dead Jews,” how retelling the Passover story helps us keep history and memory alive, and the inspiration for her newest book, her first for young readers, a Passover-themed graphic novel called “One Little Goat.”   Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast 

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive of Central Conference of American Rabbis, the center for lifelong rabbinic learning, professional development, and resources for more than 2,200 rabbis around the world. We discuss the transformative power of women’s voices in Torah commentary and Jewish leadership and explore the groundbreaking impact of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, now available for digital use via Sefaria. We also discuss the current U.S. election to the World Zionist Congress; both Rabbi Hirsch and Rabbi Person are members of the Vote Reform slate. Visit www.zionistelection.org to vote or www.vote4reform.org to learn more about the importance of standing up for our Reform values in Israel. View the transcript here. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.  Our guest this week is Lisa Lerer, a national political correspondent for the New York Times, covering the intersection of campaigns, elections, and political power. She is co-author of The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America, a book chronicling the fate of federal abortion rights over the past decade. We discuss the dismantling of Roe v. Wade, women’s leadership in politics and beyond, and what’s at stake in this crucial health care arena in the months and years ahead. View the transcript here. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.   Our guest this week is Rabbi Angela Buchdahl. She is senior rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City. She's the first woman to lead Central's Reform congregation in its 180-year history. She first joined Central Synagogue as senior cantor in 2006, and she was chosen by the congregation to be senior rabbi in 2014. We discuss the deep connections Jews have with each other around the world, the importance of ideological diversity, and why listeners should “Vote Reform” in the current World Zionist Congress election. Visit www.zionistelection.org to vote or www.vote4reform.org to learn more about the importance of standing up for our Reform values in Israel. By voting for the Vote Reform slate, you are standing up for a democratic and secure Israel and against our opponents who want to strip Reform Jews of their rights and funding. Voting is open through May 4. Vote Reform today. View the transcript here. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast

Welcome back to Just For This, a new podcast. Each week, host Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (she/her) interviews women in leadership about women and leadership. Inspired by the story of Esther, we feature powerful stories of women who stand out in their fields, who have stepped up just for this moment.   Our first guest of season 3 is CNN correspondent Dana Bash. She host of Inside Politics and co-anchor of State of the Union, covering major world and domestic news. We discuss our shared Reform Jewish upbringing, what it's like reporting on complex, nuanced topics, and what role gender plays on the world stage. View the transcript here. Follow Just For This on instagram: @justforthispodcast