July 2026
A delegation of Nishmat’s educators travelled to the United States for a week of Torah learning, professional development, and connection with Jewish communities across New York and New Jersey.
More than 150 women participated in events throughout the week, learning with Nishmat Deans Rabbanit Atara Eis and Rabbanit Ilana Hadad, Rabbanit Noa Lau, and Miriam Glaubach Center (MGC) co-directors Karen Hochhauser and Dena Block. The week was spearheaded and organized by Alisha Abboudi, Executive Director of American Friends of Nishmat.
Strengthening the Yoatzot Halacha Network
The week began with the Miriam Glaubach Center’s two-day Continuing Education program for Yoatzot Halacha from across North America. The program provided an opportunity for Yoatzot to deepen their knowledge, exchange experiences from their communities, and learn together.
One of the highlights was a panel discussion featuring Rabbaniot and Yoatzot Halacha Atara Eis, Ilana Hadad, and Noa Lau, exploring emerging trends in Taharat Hamishpacha across communities in Israel and the United States.
Rabbanit Atara reflected on the value of bringing the two communities together:
“One of the most powerful takeaways from our Continuing Education program was discovering just how many of the strengths and challenges of Jewish communal work are shared across Israel and the United States. We often focus on the structural differences between our communities and the distinct strategies they require. Yet this experience underscored how much we have to learn from one another, and how greatly both communities stand to benefit from greater cross-pollination of ideas, experience, and best practices.”
Bringing Nishmat to Local Communities
The learning continued with community events in Long Branch, Deal, and Manhattan. Rabbanit Ilana and Rabbanit Atara spoke at an event in collaboration with Brothers of Israel Congregation, while fellows from both the Allegra Franco Beit Midrash and the Miriam Glaubach Center gathered for a special dinner hosted by Alisha Abboudi. The evening then opened to the wider community for dessert and a shiur.
In Deal, Nishmat’s Health & Halacha program drew an overflowing crowd, with additional chairs brought in throughout the event as women gathered to explore the intersection of women’s health, Halacha, and Torah learning.
The week concluded with Rabbanit Atara continuing on to New York City, where she delivered a Shabbat afternoon shiur for the Upper West Side community.
For Rabbanit Ilana, the week was a powerful reminder of the connections that unite Jewish communities around the world:
“It was a great privilege to represent our Beit Midrash, and I was deeply moved to feel the truth of Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba’zeh — that the Jewish people are responsible for one another — from one end of the world to the other.”