Luminous women at Limmud

Celebrating the fierce, gentle, wise, and resilient women shaping South Africa and Jewish life.

As South Africa prepares to mark Women’s Day on 9 August, the Limmud team honours the women who have shaped and continue to shape our nation. We pay tribute to the activists who marched; the educators who mentored; and the artists, thinkers, and trailblazers who imagined a better future for us all.

At Limmud 2025, women are central to everything we do. Whether leading sessions, running panels, or ensuring that the conference flows seamlessly, women enrich every aspect of the Limmud experience, bringing insight, warmth, and a fierce commitment to learning and connection.

This year, we are featuring an amazing line-up of international female presenters, culminating in a dynamic all-women panel titled “The unexpected Jewish woman: rewriting her place in history and tradition.”

Moderated by clinical psychologist and Limmud South Africa Co-Chairperson Sarit Swisa, the panel promises to be a bold exploration of female identity, resilience, and transformation. Each bringing a unique lens to the conversation are:

• Gila Fine, acclaimed Talmud scholar and literary critic, known for her bold reinterpretations of rabbinic texts. Her acclaimed book The Madwoman in the Rabbi’s Attic explores how female archetypes in the Talmud reflect and resist cultural stereotypes, bringing ancient narratives into current conversations about modern feminism;
• Sofia Zway, an ordained rabbi from Hebrew Union College, is the founder of Base Los Angeles, a grassroots community for young adults. She is a birth doula, and shares a deeply personal lens on loss, healing, and the echoes of biblical mourning;
• Karen Stern, professor of history at Brooklyn College and professor of classics at the Graduate Center, City University of New York, is an award-winning author, activist, and communal leader. Her work bridges education and advocacy, demonstrating the power of women in shaping communal futures;
• Michal Nagen, pioneering educational leader, weaves leadership development, women’s empowerment, education, and a passion for Torah learning, all informed by a personal journey of healing from childhood trauma. Her nuanced approach to Torah and gender challenge traditional boundaries with empathy and scholarship;
• Aviva Dautch, a poet, scholar, and cultural curator whose work bridges Jewish heritage and contemporary creativity. As executive director of Jewish Renaissance, the United Kingdom’s leading Jewish arts magazine, she champions diverse voices and vibrant storytelling.

There is also an impressive line-up of local female presenters at Limmud this year. These women bring their wisdom, creativity, and a nuanced understanding that comes with being rooted in modern Jewish South African life.

Gabriella Blumberg, South African Film and Television Award-winning filmmaker, shares powerful stories of resilience through her acclaimed documentaries. Tali Nates, historian and founder of the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre, offers reflections on ethics, trauma, and remembrance. Shareen Richter, global happiness expert, brings joyful energy and practical wisdom to the art of living well. Galya Falkson, intimacy coach and kallah teacher, opens space for spiritual empowerment and honest connection; and Lynn Joffe, storyteller and cultural commentator, blends humour, heritage, and insight in ways that are entertaining and profound.

Together, these extraordinary women will challenge assumptions and invite us to see the Jewish woman as a force to be reckoned with. She is layered. She is luminous, and she is unapologetically fabulous.

For information or to register, visit limmud.org.za.

Limmud Johannesburg (15-17 August); Limmud Durban (20 August); and Limmud Cape Town (23-24 August).