What does it mean for a woman to truly make Torah her own—and how can that connection evolve across generations?

In this thoughtful and nuanced conversation, Alex Fleksher reflects on her journey with Torah learning: from her own education growing up, to the experiences her daughter is having today, and the shifts she’s witnessed—and hopes to see—within her community.

We discuss how women’s access to Torah learning has expanded, and how that expansion can continue in ways that honor each community’s unique hashkafa. We explore the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for women to engage deeply with Torah, even in places where the desire or demand may not yet be visible. Sometimes, change begins not by waiting for a need to be voiced, but by planting seeds that open new doors.

Alex also shares her reflections on the transition many women experience after seminary, the value of women's Torah leadership, and how subtle changes in language, visibility, and access can make a profound impact on how women see themselves within the world of Torah.

This episode is an invitation to think about what continuity and growth in Torah learning can look like—not only for ourselves, but for our daughters and the future of our communities.

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Alexandra Fleksher is an educator, speaker, op-ed columnist for Mishpacha Magazine, and co-host of the Deep Meaningful Conversations podcast. She holds a Masters degree in secondary Jewish education from Azrieli Graduate School and an undergraduate degree in English/Communications from Stern College for Women. She has 15 years experience teaching middle and high school English and Judaic Studies, in schools spanning the Orthodox spectrum. She has also spoken for shuls, schools and organizations around the country. Alexandra is an active member of her local Cleveland community and has a passion for community activism. She’s a former chair of the Shabbos Project Cleveland, a founding board member of Chaviva High School for Girls and a co-founder of The Chizuk Retreat Cleveland. She was behind the #myorthodoxlife social media movement and is currently the creative director of the Faces of Orthodoxy social media account.

Links:

Creative Director -- Faces of Orthodoxy

Podcast co-host -- Deep Meaningful Conversations

Columnist -- Mishpacha Magazine

Learning Suggestions:

https://outorah.org/series/4046/

What happens when the Torah we learn doesn’t sit well with us — when it challenges our instincts, values, or sense of self?

In this honest and moving episode, we speak with a woman whose relationship with Torah is marked by both fierce passion and radical openness. We explore how she’s cultivated the ability to engage with complex, sometimes uncomfortable Torah concepts without cynicism or fear — and how she believes that real growth happens not in avoiding those teachings, but in leaning into them with curiosity and humility.

We discuss what it means to truly own your Torah learning — not just as support for others, but as a vital part of your personal identity. We also explore the fears some people have around giving women access to halachic texts: Will it distance them from halacha? Create confusion? Or might it do the opposite — draw them closer?

This episode is a fascinating exploration of how to stay open-hearted and open-minded in your learning, and how women can claim a seat at the table not just as spectators, but as active participants in the world of Torah.

What does it look like to move from dabbling in Torah to making it your identity? What does it mean to move from an interested layperson to a ‘professional’ of Torah learning?

In this powerful episode, Rebbetzin Golshevsky shares about her journey doing just that. From her early education to the pivotal shifts that shaped her learning, we trace the journey of one frum woman who turned her deep personal connection to Torah into a lifelong mission.

She explores the challenges she faced along the way, the birth of Shiviti, and how Torah learning continues to shape her as a teacher, mother, friend, and leader. We also take a deep dive into one of Rebbetzin Golshevsky’s personal passions: pnimiyus haTorah. We explore practical suggestions for engaging with the deeper parts of Torah in a meaningful way and how we can integrate its messages into our lives.

This episode is a fascinating exploration of what it means to build a life around Torah — not just as a source of inspiration, but as a core identity.

Rebbetzin Golshevsky is the director of SHIVITI. She holds primary and secondary teaching certification from Yavne Teachers College in Cleveland, as well as a BA from SUNY Buffalo in Classics-Judaic Studies. Rebbetzin Golshevsky has been a well-known Torah educator in Jerusalem and abroad for twenty-five years, with students all over the world. She is a published author, editor, and translator… but teaching Torah is her first love.

Website: https://shiviti.org.il/about/

Book Recommendations:

https://www.sefaria.org/Bnei_Machshava_Tova?tab=contents

https://www.amazon.com/BNEI-MACHSHAVA-TOVA-Hebrew-Feldheim/dp/B001EUJTB6

https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot?tab=contents

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