Bracha Poliakoff

​Bracha Poliakoff, LCSW-C is a licensed clinical social worker, speaker, and writer. She currently serves as the founder and director of continuing education at Bright Ideas Continuing Education, where she provides high quality continuing education programs for mental health professionals in the United States and Canada. She has also taught Torah to both high schoolers and adults in a variety of settings, and is the author of “The Girls’ Guide to Making the Most of Your Year in Israel.” As a passionate member of the Orthodox community, Bracha often finds ways to give back and make a difference and has served on the board of Keneseth Beth Israel (Richmond, VA) as well as the Women’s Institute of Torah/Mesorah Baltimore (Baltimore, MD) in addition to her involvement in many other community programs and initiatives. Bracha is also committed to personal and professional development and has participated in The Associated’s Young Leadership Council and the Orthodox Union’s Women’s Initiative Leadership Summit. Bracha lives in Baltimore, MD, with her husband and three children. 

Rabbi Anthony Manning

Rabbi Anthony Manning teaches in many educational institutions in Jerusalem as well as lecturing widely in Israel, England and the US. Since August 2024, he has been Director / Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Rachel v’Chaya, and he gives a regular weekly shiur at the OU Israel Center in Jerusalem. He and his family moved to Israel from England in 2002, giving up a successful corporate legal career as a partner in a London law firm to become a rabbi and teacher. He gained his Masters in Law from Oxford University and learned in Yeshivat Etz Chaim in London, Yeshivat Hamivtar in Efrat, Ateres Yisrael in Bayit Vegan, and at the Jerusalem Kollel of Rav Yitzchak Berkovits. He has Semicha Yore Yore from Rav Berkovits and semichot from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg zt’l, and is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America. He lives with his wife Sarah in Alon Shevut in Gush Etzion, and they have two married children living in Israel. Rabbi Manning is currently pursuing a doctorate in Jewish Philosophy through Yeshiva University. You can hear his shiurim on his website www.rabbimanning.com ​

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Additional Contributors

Ilana Cowland
​Dr. Yocheved Debow
Beatie Deutsch
Alexandra Fleksher
Shalvie Friedman
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
Esti Hamilton
Rifka Wein Harris
Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller-Gottlieb
Michal Horowitz
Yael Kaisman
Elisheva Kaminetsky
Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky
Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein
Miriam Kosman
Natalie Menaged
Rabbanit Oriya Mevorach
Rebbetzin Chaya Chava Pavlov
Dr. Deena Rabinovich
Sivan Rahav-Meir
Sarah Rudolph
Shevi Samet
Rabbi Yitzchak Shurin
Rivka Simonsson
Rivkah Slonim
Jaclyn Sova
Faigie Zelcer​