About Us

Nishmat Leadership

Rabbanit Chana Henkin, Rosh Hamidrasha

Rabbanit Chana Henkin, founder and Dean of Nishmat, is one of today’s most acclaimed Jewish educators and a leader in re-drawing the landscape of Torah leadership and scholarship for women. She has headed Nishmat’s beit midrash for thirty years, where her legendary, infectious love of Torah inspires generation after generation of students. Together with her husband, noted halachic authority Rav Yehuda Henkin ztz”l, Rabbanit Henkin created the unique role of Yoatzot Halacha, experts in women’s health and Jewish law, to address women’s questions in taharat hamishpacha and women’s health. Rabbanit Henkin is a graduate of Yeshiva University’s Stern College and YU’s Bernard Revel Graduate School. She received Honorary Doctorates from both Bar Ilan University and Yeshiva University, and was awarded Israel’s prestigious Agrest Prize for innovative religious education. The Henkins made aliyah in 1972 and Rabbanit Henkin lives in Jerusalem, where her life is devoted to advancing Torah and serving Klal Yisrael.

Rabbi Yehuda Henkin, Halachic Authority for Nishmat

Rabbi Yehuda Henkin is the author of three volumes of halachic questions and answers, Bnei Banim, the Torah commentary Chibah Yeteirah, and more than a hundred articles in periodicals and journals. Born in the United States in 1945, he studied for six years with his grandfather, the famous posek Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, zt"l, from whom he received rabbinical semichah. He is also a graduate of Columbia University. Following his aliya to Israel in 1972, Rabbi Henkin served as the Rabbi of the Beit Shean Valley prior to moving to Jerusalem. Since its inception in 1990, Rav Henkin has been the Halachic Authority for Nishmat, including the Keren Ariel Yoatzot Halacha Training Program, Nishmat's Golda Koschitzky Women's Halachic Hotline, and www.yoatzot.org, Nishmat's Women's Health and Halacha Website.

Rabbanit Noa Lau, S’ganit Rosh Hamidrasha

Rabbanit Noa Lau, Associate Dean of Nishmat, is a Yoetzet Halacha and the Moshe and Charlotte Green Chair of Jewish Law at Nishmat, where she coordinates Nishmat’s Keren Ariel Yoatzot Halacha Training Program. She has a Master’s degree in Tanach from Bar Ilan University and taught for many years at the Pelech School in Jerusalem.

Rabbanit Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel

Rabbanit Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel teaches Halacha at Nishmat, where she also serves as a Yoetzet Responder on Nishmat’s Golda Kozchitzky Women’s Halachic Hotline. She is also the director of Matan’s Hilkhata (Advanced Halacha) Program. Rabbanit Rachelli studied at Bar Ilan University, Midreshet Lindenbaum, and Nishmat’s Keren Ariel Yoatzot Halacha Training Program, and was in the first graduating class of Matan’s Talmudic Institute. Recognized as one of Israel’s most inspiring women, Rabbanit Rachelli speaks on behalf of Jewish unity before audiences across the Jewish world. She is a co-founder of The Jerusalem Unity Prize and Unity Day project, in memory of her 16 year-old son, Naftali הי”ד, who was kidnapped and murdered by Palestinian terrorists in June, 2014.

Rav Da’vid Sperling, Rosh Beit Midrash

Rav Da’vid Sperling, Rosh Beit Midrash, was born in Sydney, Australia. He studied at Yeshivat Machon Meir for several years before studying for over a decade at Yeshivat Ateret Kohanim under the tutelage of Rabbi Shlomo Aviner. Rav Sperling received advanced rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, as well as from Rav Yehuda Henkin. Rav Sperling has taught Halacha at Nishmat for many years, as well as at Yeshivat Machon Meir. He has published a wide range of halachic articles in journals and on the internet.

Dr Esti Bar-El, Director, Maayan Program for Ethiopian Women

Dr. Esti Bar-El directs the Nishmat Ethiopian Women (N.E.W.) Program. She holds a dual Bachelor’s degree (Magna Cum Laude) in Educational Administration and Jewish Philosophy with a certificate in "Machshavat Israel". She also holds both a Masters (Suma Cum Laude) and Doctorate from Bar Ilan University in Jewish Philosophy. She has taught and lectured at midrashoth and colleges around the country. She was a research fellow for social Justice at Bet Morasha, Jerusalem Leadership Institute. She was part of a fellowship for outstanding doctoral candidates at Bar Ilan University. In addition to teaching, she has served as the Central Region Coordinator of Family Life Studies for the Ministry of Education, and Director of "Seeds of Peace" which aims to encourage increasing tolerance between polarized groups in the population. Dr. Bar-El has two academic publications to her credit and four additional articles published. She received numerous awards. She is a mother of five, and lives in Peduel.