I’ve already expressed my feelings on the whole “year of the Jewish woman” thing, but that’s not to say we shouldn’t celebrate the many great moments for Jewish women in 2014. Here, in no particular order, are a few of our favorites at JWA:

1.     Notorious RBG continued to rock our world, delivering a scathing dissent in the Hobby Lobby contraception case. We were glad to see her acknowledged as a Mensch on the Bench this holiday season.

2.     Jill Soloway’s hit show Transparent broke ground by telling the story of transwoman Maura Pfefferman and giving us the best, most authentic, and Jewiest portrayal of American Jews ever seen on TV. We can’t wait to see where Maura and the rest of the Pfeffermans go in 2015!

3.     Lizzie Skurnick brought Sydney Taylor’s pioneering young adult series All of a Kind Family back into print, letting a new generation hear the voices and stories of Sarah, Ella, Henny, Charlotte, Gertie, and Charlie and their New York immigrant milieu in the early 20^th century.

4.     Rabbi and Cantor Angela Buchdahl – the first Asian-American rabbi – became the first female senior rabbi of Central Synagogue, a leading Reform congregation on New York’s Upper East Side. Women’s leadership is on the rise!

5.     Jenny Slate proved that a Jewish woman’s acerbic, anxious wit can be sexy and even abortion can have its romantic, funny side in this summer’s hit film, Obvious Child.

6.     The Red Tent steamed up our TV screens in Lifetime’s remake of Anita Diamant’s novel, bringing the imagined story of the biblical character of Dina to a new audience.

7.     Sarah Koenig took the podcast to new heights with the dramatic true crime saga, Serial.

8.     When her teenage son was murdered, Israeli mother and teacher Racheli Fraenkel harnessed her own grief and loss, modeling compassion and a yearning for peace.

9.     Emma Sulkowicz sparked a national conversation about sexual assault on college campuses through her performance art piece, Carry That Weight.

10.  On October 17, Shabbat Bereishit, communities across the country commemorated the yahrzeit (anniversary of death) of Rabbi Regina Jonas—the first woman rabbi—for the first time, seventy years after her murder in Auschwitz. JWA was proud to be a leader in this effort. 

Wishing you all a happy new year, filled with laughter, debate, inspiration, imagination, and equality for all!