Orthodox Rabbis Affirm Female Status of Educator Talia Sarah Avrahami

Rabbi Professor Avraham Steinberg, MD — director of the Medical Ethics Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center and a leading halakhic authority — has authored a formal responsum (psak) affirming the female halakhic status of Mrs. Talia Sarah Avrahami.

In his ruling, dated 21 July 2025, Rabbi Dr. Steinberg defined Mrs. Avrahami’s case as a partial androginos (intersex condition) and concluded unequivocally: “therefore, her halachic status is female.” He issued this determination after reviewing Mrs. Avrahami’s complete medical documentation.

On 25 August 2025, Rabbi Asher Weiss, one of the generation’s foremost halakhic decisors (poskim), affirmed the ruling by stating “I agree with the conclusion of Rabbi Steinberg: Mrs. Talia Avrahami is a woman in every respect.”

Mrs. Avrahami said in a statement for this release:

“What matters to me most is that my husband, my daughter, and I can now live in peace without labels that never belonged to me and free from harassment. I am grateful to our generation's leaders (gedolim) who affirmed my status as a woman, and I pray to serve Hashem with dignity as an ordinary Jewish woman.”

This ruling resolves earlier public misunderstanding by affirming Mrs. Avrahami’s female status. It has been recognized and accepted by leading Torah authorities (poskim) across the world, reflecting a broad contemporary consensus.

About Talia S. Avrahami

Talia S. Avrahami is an Israeli-American educator in the New York City Department of Education and a doctoral student in Educational Leadership at St. John’s University. She also writes regularly for The Times of Israel, focusing on halakhic clarity and compassion in the Orthodox Jewish community.

Media Contact: avrahami.press@aol.com

Attachment: A redacted copy of Rabbi Dr. Avraham Steinberg’s responsum is included for verification. Private medical information has been removed to protect confidentiality; the halakhic ruling and relevant context remain visible. Click here to read.

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