Elana’s new book Toxic Tactics arrives October 13 · Pre-order on Amazon →
Writing

Writing

Elana writes about language, power, gender, and culture, often with a focus on Jewish life and Israel and Palestine. Elana's work has appeared in The Atlantic, Slate, The Independent, Everyday Feminism, The Forward, Lilith, the Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, Tablet, the Times of Israel, The Jewish Chronicle, The Jewish Independent, eJewish Philanthropy, and many other outlets. She also writes regularly on her Substack, The Roar.

Elana Sztokman's essay in The Atlantic, Gaza: It's a Man's WarElana in The Atlantic
Selected work
A few pieces to start with, from more than fifteen years of writing.
Writing by topic
Elana has written hundreds of articles, op-eds, blogs, chapters, book reviews, and academic articles. Below is a collection of her pieces. Choose a topic and scroll to explore,.
How words are used to control, demean, and abuse, the questions at the heart of Toxic Tactics.
Everyday Feminism7 tactics of emotional abuse used by Trump supporters post-election↗Everyday Feminism9 tactics of abuse that you can find in Trump's sexual assault video↗Everyday Feminism10 emotional abuse tactics that Trump blatantly used in the first debate↗The ForwardEric Schneiderman is a 'feminist.' Because they, too, can be abusers.↗The ForwardSeriously, 92Y, Ari Shavit should never have been invited in the first place↗The ForwardWhen domestic abuse leads to murder↗The ForwardJewish child brides, why the practice of marrying off young girls persists↗The ForwardOn Elon's indictment and other religious leaders facing charges↗The ForwardThe Super Bowl and the sex-trafficking connection↗The ForwardWhy Jewish feminists should care about the murder of David Kato↗The ForwardDon't let men get the last word↗The ForwardFormer Israeli president Katsav convicted of rape↗The ForwardMale doula charged with sexual assault↗The ForwardIsrael's incitement laws applied to incitement of sexual violence↗The ForwardWhen workplace sexual harassment charges are ignored↗The Forward'How much do women cost?' Taking a stand against trafficking↗The ForwardEnd Israel's private tribunals for sex-abuse cases↗The ForwardPaying off recalcitrant husbands↗The ForwardMurder of young mother brings issue of domestic abuse to the fore↗The Jerusalem PostClinton forced to treat narcissistic bully like an equal↗The Jerusalem PostA woman's honor↗The Jerusalem PostMurder in the family↗LilithWhen Rabbis Abuse, a Q&A with Elana Sztokman↗LilithWhat I posted on Facebook about the Freundel case↗The Times of IsraelRaviv Drucker and prime-time himpathy for rapists↗The Times of IsraelA woman is murdered every nine days in Israel↗The Times of IsraelDon't use 'antisemitism' to protect sexual abusers↗JTAWhat the Freundel scandal says about Orthodoxy↗eJewish PhilanthropyMeToo in the Jewish community↗HuffPostSometimes it's not 'balancing,' it's just abuse↗HuffPostDeciding to speak out about religious misogyny↗MediumOn Marc Gafni, the New York Times, and how sexual-predator rabbis get communal support↗
Women, ritual, power, and the exclusion of women in Jewish religious life.
LilithWhy are women dropping out of synagogue life?↗LilithStop asking 'Why are you still Orthodox?'↗LilithJewish women in India have a powerful new role model↗LilithA woman's view of circumcision↗LilithWhen Rabbis Abuse, a Q&A with Elana Sztokman↗LilithGod's Girlfriends, a review↗LilithDoes Judaism generate eating disorders?↗LilithChoosing not to fast, eating disorders and Yom Kippur↗LilithPassover, freedom for women now, not 3000 years ago↗LilithVoyeurism and the yeshiva girl↗The ForwardAlice Shalvi pioneered religious feminism in Israel. Everyone else is still catching up.↗The ForwardHow Israeli colleges are discriminating against ultra-Orthodox women↗The ForwardWhy Israel funding non-Orthodox mikvehs is a step forward and backward↗The ForwardDon't blame mikveh attendants for a broken system created by men↗The ForwardWill there be Orthodox women rabbis in Israel?↗The ForwardRabbi Elyashiv's legacy of women's pain↗The ForwardKeeping young women hidden, at the expense of their bodies↗The ForwardDid a rabbi permit self-mutilation to promote 'modesty'?↗The ForwardOrthodox marriage prep on the agenda at Kolech conference↗The ForwardIn Israel, a call to end anonymous sperm donation↗The ForwardThe Modern Orthodox case for gender segregation on public buses↗The ForwardWith Yom Haatzmaut festivities, a gender barrier is broken↗The ForwardWhat's in a name? Choosing 'Rabba' over 'Rav,' and why↗The ForwardOn Passover's role in fostering female friendships↗The ForwardOn Passover, rethinking liberation↗The ForwardWhen religious girls become beauty queens↗The ForwardJewish child brides, why the practice of marrying off young girls persists↗The ForwardOn Purim wigs, 'modesty,' and Rabbi Broyde's defense of the sheitel↗The ForwardThe case against the sheitel↗The ForwardWatching sunsets, davening mincha, celebrating trees↗The ForwardSome scholarly looks at women's hair coverings↗The ForwardResponse to the rebbetzins↗The ForwardRosh Hodesh, Maui-style↗The ForwardAt yeshiva, shielded from 'I Am Woman'↗The ForwardProtesters of extreme gender segregation report personal threats↗The ForwardOrthodox women, stunted ambitions↗The ForwardThe competitive sport of barking at Torah readers↗The ForwardWhat I learned from making a Mauian minyan↗The ForwardWhere Judaism meets Hawaiian lore↗The ForwardThe problem with 'balebuste'↗The ForwardFor the first time since the leader's arrest, Women of the Wall gather amid angry protests↗The ForwardThe masculinization of all things religious↗The ForwardFired for being a religious feminist?↗The ForwardChoosing to cover my hair, then not to↗The ForwardAnger over arrest at Kotel of woman carrying Torah↗The ForwardWoman arrested for carrying Torah speaks with The Sisterhood↗The Jerusalem PostThe 'truth' about Judaism?↗The Jerusalem Post'Geeky' is the new cool↗The Jerusalem PostRacism in the name of religion↗The Times of IsraelTheocracy in Israel? The halakhic state is here↗The Times of IsraelKicking women out↗The Times of IsraelThe new, old religious war on women in Israel↗The Times of IsraelThe erasure of women in the name of religion↗The Times of IsraelJews who attack liberals as 'bad Jews' are not keeping the Torah↗JTAMy feminist struggles with Yom Kippur↗JTAWhat the Freundel scandal says about Orthodoxy↗HaaretzTefillin-gate, on sexism and Orthodoxy↗The Australian Jewish NewsSaying no to the back of the bus↗The Australian Jewish NewsPain of a journey towards Orthodoxy↗The Australian Jewish NewsNew year singing that reached the heavens↗HuffPostDeciding to speak out about religious misogyny↗My Jewish LearningParshat Vaera, what the Torah leaves out↗My Jewish Learning7 places where religious radicalism threatens women's well-being in Israel↗My Jewish LearningThe many-flavored wellspring that is Orthodox feminism↗TabletOrthodox man refuses to sit next to feminist activist on airplane↗Fathom JournalFeminism and the melodies of Judaism↗MediumOn Marc Gafni, the New York Times, and how sexual-predator rabbis get communal support↗FacebookThe dynamics of the Jewish patriarchy↗Union for Reform JudaismLaunching my journey from Orthodox feminist to Reform rabbi↗The Jewish ChronicleI'm joining Reform, but not taking sides↗My Jewish LearningWelcome to JOFA's new blog, The Torch!↗
Women in politics, the professions, the economy, and the public square.
The Jerusalem PostA woman's work is never done↗The ForwardAs Israel moves farther to the right, women are paying the price↗The ForwardMiriam Isserow selflessly fought for survivors↗The ForwardFor women, gender bias continues even in death↗The ForwardReversing Israel's chronic underrepresentation of women in politics↗The ForwardWhen social workers strike↗The ForwardIn Israel, are professional women 'regressing'?↗The ForwardBreaking the drywall ceiling, Israel's contracting pioneer↗The ForwardYouth groups take on LGBT bullying↗The ForwardThe sex-assault allegations against the man who could be Israel's next police chief↗The ForwardAre women or communal structures to blame for economic disparities?↗The ForwardIn Israel, attempts to remove women from the public sphere↗The ForwardBill seeks to make Israel's paternity leave more generous↗The ForwardIsrael's dismal gender-gap index ranking, and what it means↗The ForwardOrthodox women, stunted ambitions↗The ForwardIsrael roundup, 'Mothers need not apply'↗The ForwardA woman on the shekel?↗The ForwardNCJW campaigns for inclusion of women in peace talks↗The ForwardFired for being a religious feminist?↗LilithImagining a lost Jewish past, Janice Weizman's Our Little Histories↗LilithMore women making decisions in Israel↗The Times of IsraelWomen are ready to lead. Are Israelis ready to follow?↗The Times of IsraelPushed out and pushing back, everyday sexism↗The Times of IsraelGender equality in Israel is getting worse↗eJewish PhilanthropyBringing women into the fundraising and grant-making folds↗eJewish PhilanthropyThe implications of the tent protests for the third sector in Israel↗eJewish PhilanthropyIsraeli society through the lens of the GA↗The Australian Jewish NewsWhere are all the top women writers?↗The Australian Jewish NewsFrustrations of working in Israel↗HuffPostWomen shaking up elections in Israel↗My Jewish Learning10 ways you can promote gender equality in your local school↗My Jewish Learning10 inspiring ways that women are fighting for justice in Israel↗My Jewish Learning7 places where religious radicalism threatens women's well-being in Israel↗My Jewish LearningIt's not just for feminists anymore↗TabletShulamit Aloni, one of Israel's first feminist leaders, dies at 85↗Jewish Women of WordsSafeguarding her story↗Jewish Women of WordsNo gender revolution in Israel yet↗The IndependentOn sexism and women in Israel's parliament↗

Elana also blogs regularly at the Times of Israel. Browse the full blog archive ↗

The Roar

Elana's Substack

Essays on language, power, gender, and the fight for a more humane world.

Read The Roar →
Press and media

Elana in the press

Interviews, features, reviews, and video of Elana on television and on stage, gathered on the press page.

See the press page →