Yesterday, I was pleased to receive an e-mail from the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA) congratulating Sara Hurwitz "on having completed the required course of study in Yoreh Deah" to become a spiritual leader. Hurwitz presently serves as a leader of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.

The e-mail from JOFA arrived just days after the 12th anniversary of the first conference on Feminism and Orthodoxy from which JOFA was born. We've certainly come a long way since that conference in 1997! Mazel Tov, Sara, for asserting your role as a spiritual leader in the Orthodox community .