“Women are emerging as halakhic leaders from within the Religious-Zionist community” — An Interview in Gluyat Eynayim (Eyes Wide Open) columnin Gluya Magazine with Rabbanit Chamutal Shoval
Rabbanit Chamutal Shoval, one of the most prominent and influential figures today in the fields of halakha and religious-Zionist education, serves as Director of Kolel De’ah at Midreshet Lindenbaum. Shoval has devoted her life to Torah study, teaching, and halakhic decision-making. She was the first woman to publish a solo article in the journal Techumin and has since continued to contribute halakhic writing, teach Talmud to women, and respond to halakhic queries through digital platforms.
In this interview, she recounts her personal and professional journey — from her first encounter with the Beit Midrash at Lindenbaum, through her studies in Kolel De’ah, to her shlichut (educational mission) in the United States, where she taught Talmud to high school girls and represented Ohr Torah Stone in North America. Among the formative figures she names are Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Rabbanit Malka Piotrkowski, and Rabbi Shuki Reich, who provided lasting inspiration and guidance.
Shoval emphasizes her belief in accessible halakha, taught with warmth and attentiveness, alongside her commitment to advancing serious Talmud study for women and girls. For her, this is essential to their full integration into rabbinic and communal discourse. Alongside her rabbinic leadership, she is also a devoted artist, finding in painting and creative work a wellspring of inspiration and strength.
The interview offers a profound glimpse into the world of a teacher, halakhic leader, and visionary, striving to weave fidelity to tradition together with attentiveness to contemporary realities.
