Yoetzet Initiative of Greater Philadelphia
About us
In 2012 the Jewish families of Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey saw a window open, a short window of a long awaited opportunity to formally hire a Yoetzet Halacha. What started as a brainstorming session between friends, concluded with the founding of the Yoetzet Initiative. We knew that unlike other Jewish communities where Yoatzot are employed by synagogues, our Yoetzet was to be supported directly by lay leaders and community members. In order for our Initiative to fulfill its mission of providing a Yoetzet Halacha to the community, we knew that we needed to build an infrastructure of human capital and financial resources. The YI grew under the leadership of Aliza Silverstein as a grassroots effort of community families seeking to establish this important role in the Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey Jewish communities.
our Yoatzot
Tova Warburg Sinensky
Tova Warburg Sinensky is a graduate of Nishmat’s Miriam Glaubach Center’s first U.S. Yoatzot Halacha cohort and has worked as a Yoetzet since 2013, currently serving as the Yoetzet Halacha for Teaneck, Atlanta and the Greater Philadelphia area She has been involved in the field of Jewish education for over fifteen years teaching Gemara, Halacha, Jewish Philosophy, coaching beginning teachers, creating curricula, educating kallot, and consulting on intimacy education for high school students. Tova serves on the advisory committee of the Jewish Fertility Foundation, has published a number of resources and articles pertaining to Taharat Hamishpacha, Jewish education, and the religious experience of women, and has lectured widely throughout the US and abroad. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Stern College Honors Program with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the Azrieli Graduate School and holds a certificate from Yeshiva University’s Graduate Program for Advanced Talmudic Studies. Tova is also a triathlete, runs boot camp & track classes, and enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.
Stacey Goldman
Stacey Goldman teaches Tanach at Kohelet Yeshiva High School in Philadelphia and gives adult education classes all over the greater Philadelphia area. She is a graduate of Barnard College and the U.S. Yoatzot Halacha Program of Nishmat’s Miriam Glaubach Center and currently serves as Yoetzet Halacha for the greater Philadelphia community and the Young Israel/Aish in Las Vegas. She has published reflective essays and articles on chabad.org. You can find her audio classes on YUTorah.org. Stacey lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband and is the happy mother of five boys.
