GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko are joined by Mamaleh Jewelry founder Dara Katz to kick off 5787. The Girls talk about the behind-the-scenes stress of the High Holidays, the Macklemore drama, and more. 

They also go back to basics and dig into the Shema prayer, with some help from the Simchat Torah Challenge’s Shema Initiative. And of course, there’s jewelry involved: join the Shema Initiative and enter to win a Shema bracelet by Oriya Jewels. Sign up at SimchatTorahChallenge.org/Golda. 

This week’s recommendations:

Mamaleh’s Yente nameplate necklace, mahjong tile charm, and challah charm.   

Good for the Jews: 

Stephanie: Sydney Sweeney spotted at synagogue on Rosh Hashanah.

Dara: Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts’ daughter Kai Schreiber walking the Thom Browne runway at New York Fashion Week. 

Esther: Dara Horn’s new book, The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Letter to the Living. 

Diana: Miznon’s Bag of Green Beans. 

Upcoming events: 

September 22, 2026 — New York City: Diana interviews Zibby Owens about her new book Between Chapters at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan;  https://www.mmjccm.org/event/between-chapters-zibby-owens-in-conversation-with-rabbi-diana-fersko

October 14, 2026 — New York City + virtual: Stephanie in conversation with Matti Friedman at 92NY (in-person and streaming); https://www.92ny.org/event/matti-friedman-with-stephanie-butnick.

October 15, 2026 — New York City: Save the date for the next event in our Harmonie Club residency, all about redefining Jewish jewelry and Judaica and featuring some of our favorite designers and artists. 

October 19, 2026 — New York City: Stephanie interviews Rabbi Rachel Ain for the launch of her book, Watch How You Go: Jewish Wisdom for Your Journey Ahead, at Sutton Place Synagogue; spsnyc.shulcloud.com/form/rrabooklaunch.

Find out about all of our upcoming events at goldaguide.com/p/events. 

Subscribe to GOLDA at goldaguide.com and follow us on Instagram at @goldaguide.

Where you can find the GOLDA Girls:

Sign up for Diana Fersko’s print newsletter, Modern Jewess, at modern-jewess.com, and buy her book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, at rabbidianafersko.com/books.  

Get Esther Chehebar’s novel Sisters of Fortune at bookshop.org/a/110357/9780593734544, and her children’s book I Share My Name, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781532432187. 

Buy Stephanie Butnick’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781579658939.

GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. 

Sponsors:

GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Get 15% off your subscription with code NuGolda. Visit NuReads.org to get started today.

This episode is also sponsored by the Simchat Torah Challenge’s Shema Initiative, created in collaboration with NJOP. The Shema Initiative invites us to reconnect with Judaism’s most foundational prayer through beautiful videos, art, inspiration, and even a free Hebrew Reading Crash Course. Join The Shema Initiative and you can enter to win a beautiful gold-plated Shema bracelet handmade by Oriya—a piece of jewelry designed to remind you to keep this foundational prayer top of mind and close to your heart. Learn more and sign up at SimchatTorahChallenge.org/Golda.