Local talent

Nina Broder from Jerusalem (@TheJerusalemite – 72.5K followers on Instagram and 19.5K followers on TikTok) rarely appears on her own channels. Rather, her content is “mostly Jerusalem, with a sprinkle of Zionism, Torah & news. When I walk past something I appreciate in Jerusalem, I simply snap and post.”

With a goal of eventually collaborating with the Jerusalem Municipality or the government of Israel, short-term, Broder wants “to share the beauty of the Holy Land [and the Holy] City.”

Broder delights in Orthodox women being active on social media. “It shows that Jewish religious women have a voice. Many shows and news outlets unfortunately show a different side to religion and it’s so beautiful that women are able to connect to others just like them and teach them about any topics or beliefs on a mass scale. Social media is an incredible tool, which enables you to reach every corner of the earth and spread a wide message.”

Beatie Deutsch (@marathonmother – 27.6K followers on Instagram) from Neve Michael, near Beit Shemesh, is best known for being an Orthodox woman champion marathon runner. She is also the mother of five young children.

Her content, like her Instagram username, is a reflection of her dual priorities. Her content, which she has been creating since 2017, focuses on fitness and sports, inspiration and motivation, and Jewish wisdom and motherhood.

Above all else, she is a religious Jewish woman. “My Instagram says it all – Ambassador of Hashem – to use the gift of running that I have to inspire others to discover their own talents and use them to make a difference in the world.”

According to Deutsch, “We have an opportunity to share our lives and what it’s like to be a Jewish woman with a large part of the world that may have preexisting thoughts or assumptions about what Orthodox Judaism means. Social media is a tool for breaking down barriers.”

From her home in Rehovot, Julie Rothschild Levi (@officiallyjulie – 3.7K followers on Instagram) has tripled her followers in the last three months, since she began creating “comic reels for Jewish women,” a task she works on daily.

Her goal? “To bring the funny to life that isn’t funny most of the time, to bring light to the heavy. I focus on creating content that deals with the challenges of being [newly religious], an American in Israel and Jewish, in general.

“We all want to be entertained, and it’s time that Jewish women have other Jewish women to turn to for their comedy fix.”

Levi explained that “Religious Jewish comedy content creators are few and far between. Actually, the number of comedy creators, in general, is largely male. I want to be seen as an Orthodox female content creator who doesn’t shy away from the trials and tribulations of religious life, and who shows the funny in it. In order to do this, I need to be very present visually.” The push to erase Jewish women’s faces “makes me more determined to be seen,” she commented.

Levi celebrates the content being created by other Orthodox women. “There are so many wonderful accounts that offer content on Torah inspiration, modest fashion, kosher cooking and clean comedy. These accounts bring so much good to the world with values-driven content.”