Hasidic Women in the Media

In a compelling lecture performance, author Jessica Roda presents themes from her groundbreaking book "For Women and Girls Only", joined by actress, writer, and producer Malky Goldman—the book’s remarkable protagonist. The event offers a nuanced exploration of the representation of Hasidic female identity in media, on screen, and on stage. Goldman, who was raised in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, shares her deeply personal journey navigating the arts from within and beyond the boundaries of her Hasidic upbringing. Through dialogue, multimedia, and live performance, the evening exposes the tensions between tradition and self-expression, visibility and erasure, community expectations and artistic freedom. Roda contextualizes Goldman’s story within broader questions of gender, religion, and representation, challenging reductive portrayals of Hasidic women in mainstream media. Goldman’s voice—grounded, creative, and courageous—offers a powerful counter-narrative, reclaiming agency and complexity for Hasidic female identities on public stages. The performance invites audiences to reconsider assumptions and listen to stories often silenced or misunderstood.