International Halakha Scholars Program Equips Orthodox Women with Skills and Scholarship in Jewish Law

Members of IHSP’s first cohort are completing a four-year rigorous program having devoted a minimum of eight hours a week to advanced Torah study 

Jewish law—halacha, in Hebrew—is foundational to Orthodox Judaism. For Orthodox Jews, halacha represents a divine reflection of G-d’s will; these laws guide all aspects of Jewish life.  

Ohr Torah Stone’s International Halakha Scholars Program (IHSP) was established in 2021 to provide Orthodox Jewish women educators, scholars, and communal leaders around the world with the opportunity to study the intricacies of Jewish law in the key areas of the Sabbath (Shabbos), death and mourning (aveilus), Jewish dietary law (kashrus), and family purity laws (niddah)—all at an advanced level equivalent to that of rabbinic students.   

This summer, members of IHSP’s first cohort, many of whom have full-time jobs and familial responsibilities in addition to being a student, are completing the four-year rigorous program. Cohort members have devoted a minimum of eight hours a week to Torah study, including weekly online lectures and intensive multi-hour partner (chavrusa) study. They have additionally successfully completed upwards of a dozen qualifying exams.  

“If we want Orthodox women to thrive in their connection to G-d and observance of halacha, as well as serve as inspirational teachers to carry Orthodoxy forward for the next generation, then it behooves us to answer their call for access to higher-level scholarship and a deeper understanding of the Jewish legal process and connection to our heritage (mesorah),” says Elizabeth Walder, President and CEO of Walder Foundation.  

Mrs. Elizabeth Walder (center) poses for a photo with IHSP leaders Rabbanit Chamutal Shoval (center left) and Rabbanit Dr. Hannah Hashkes (center right), as well as Walder Foundation staff members Tamar Snyder (far left) and Jenni Richton (far right), during a May 2025 learning and connection event in Chicago.

Walder Foundation has funded IHSP since its start and was delighted to welcome 12 North American IHSP scholars to Chicago in May 2025 for two days of community learning and connection focused on the theme of “Spiritual and Communal Resilience in Times of Crisis.”  The gathering was “more than a learning opportunity, it is a testament to the growing presence, strength, and leadership of women in halakhic life and to the vital role they play in shaping and sustaining our communities,” said Rabbanit Chamutal Shoval, Director of Ohr Torah Stone’s Susi Bradfield Women’s Institute of Halakhic Leadership, which houses the IHSP program. 

IHSP has a second cohort of 23 women finishing their second year of study, and a third cohort will begin in Fall 2025. In addition to participating in weekly virtual learning sessions, the women of IHSP gather in Jerusalem for leadership seminars in the summers after the first and third years in the program. The IHSP program spans several time zones, with women participating from cities across the U.S., as well as six other countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Germany, and Israel. 

“We aim to build a culture of respect for Orthodox women’s Torah scholarship,” said IHSP Director Rabbanit Dr. Hannah Hashkes. "The IHSP is cultivating a global network of women scholars who are deeply committed to halakhic learning and leadership.” 

Such a network includes people like Esti Honig, a 17-year veteran Judaic Studies teacher in Philadelphia, who is part of the first IHSP cohort. Honig often received questions related to Jewish law from her students but didn’t feel comfortable answering them until she began this program. 

“Sure, I practiced those halakhot, but it was overwhelming to think of boiling down thousands of years of halakhic discussion to something that would be meaningful to a high school student,” she said. “While the idea of that is still daunting, it doesn't have that same impossible feeling that it once had. I have a broader overview of the halakhic material and the halakhic process and feel more comfortable being in the world of halakha.” 

Outside of gaining greater comfort in responding to questions of Jewish law, Honig experienced a plethora of other benefits from studying with the IHSP. 

“The summer seminars, along with the Chicago seminar, have been such breaths of fresh air— a moment in time curated for us to stop and dream big. We take the time to connect with each other, and to picture where we can go and what we can do for our community with the knowledge and skills that we've gained.” 

IHSP cohort members during a May 2025 learning and connection event in Chicago. 

Similarly, Zoe Lang, a history teacher at Berman Hebrew Academy in Maryland and member of IHSP’s second cohort, shared her perspective of the program’s value.  

“I love to learn Torah, and I appreciate the community it forms,” she shares. “It’s been so wonderful getting to know women who are dedicated to Torah learning and want to contribute to their communities. There’s a special bond that forms when learning together.” 

The program has also played a significant role in enhancing participants’ own religious observance.  

“There is so much more meaning to observance when you understand how the practice of Jewish law came to be,” said Tova Roth, a member of the second IHSP cohort from New York who also works as a senior software engineer. 

The IHSP graduates plan to give back to their communities, utilizing the scholarship gained through participating in IHSP to enhance their roles as teachers, community scholars, and community volunteers.  

“We’re all striving to make learning and teaching Torah an integral part of the way we impact the world,” noted Jennifer Raskas, the Community Scholar at Shir Hadash synagogue in Jerusalem, and one of the steering committee members who helped establish this program with leadership from Ohr Torah Stone, the Orthodox Leadership Project, and funding from Walder Foundation. “The IHSP program will profoundly deepen and enrich the Torah-centered inspiration, connection, and meaning that graduates will bring to Jewish communities across the globe. This is an impact that will last for generations to come.”  

Stay engaged with efforts from our Jewish Life pillar: walderfoundation.org/jewish-life 

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