Tziporah Heller

Born Tziporah Krasner in Brooklyn, New York, she studied at the Bais Yaakov elementary school.[1] From 1966 to 1967, she attended the Rav Wolf Seminary in Bnei Brak.[2]

Following her marriage in 1967, she and her husband, Avraham Dovid Heller, resided for two years in the Galilee community of Segev, in an effort to establish a kollel there.[3] After their return to Jerusalem, her husband became a lecturer at Ohr Somayach, and, later, the administrator of Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok, located near their home in Har Nof.[3] In 1970, she began teaching at the Neve Yerushalayim College of Jewish Studies for Women in the same neighborhood, becoming a full-time faculty member in 1980.[4] In 2015, she became principal of the Bnos Avigail seminary on the Neve campus.

Heller specializes in textual analysis of Biblical literature and Jewish philosophy, with a focus on the commentaries of Rambam and Maharal. She also lectures on women in Judaism,[5] and "the lives of women in the Bible and Prophets".[6] She is noted for her ability to bring "lofty concepts" down to a practical level, embellished with true-life stories and a sense of humor.[7][8] Her views on the role of women in Judaism are frequently cited.[9][10][11][12]

She is also a lecturer for the online Jewish college Naaleh.com,[7] and a weekly columnist for the Hamodia newspaper. Her 2000 book, This Way Up: Torah essays on spiritual growth, was culled from her columns in that newspaper in the 1990s.[13] She conducts international speaking tours twice yearly.[7] She has thousands of students around the globe,[3] and her approbation is valued in the Jewish publishing world.[14][15][16][17] In 2011, she was nominated for the Jewish Community Heroes award presented by the Jewish Federations of North America.[18]

In 1967, she married Avraham Dovid Heller (1944–2013), and the two made aliyah to Israel.[3] The couple had 14 children,[5] and hosted many guests for Shabbat and Jewish holidays.[3][18] They were married for 46 years, until Rabbi Heller's death in 2013.

On Lag BaOmer 2020, she remarried to Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb.[19]

Heller's son-in-law, Shmuel Goldstein, was seriously injured in the 2014 Jerusalem synagogue attack.[20] Following the attack, Heller widely disseminated a letter that she had written to her family and friends describing the event,[21][22] and also spoke to the media.[20]

• Return: Your Path to Lasting Change. Menucha. 2015. ISBN 9781495172540.
• The Balancing Act: How to bring the power and passion of Torah into our homes, our children – and ourselves. Shaar Press. 2012. ISBN 9781422613221.
• Battle Plans: How to Fight the Yetzer Hara : According to Maharal, Ramchal, Chassidic and Mussar Masters. Shaar Press. 2009. ISBN 9781422608968. (with Sara Yoheved Rigler)
• Here You Are: Exploring the meaning of life's moments. Targum Press. 2008. ISBN 978-1-56871-486-8.
• Let's Face It!: The 8 Essential Challenges of Living. Targum Press. 2005. ISBN 9781568713663.
• Our Bodies, Our Souls: A Jewish Perspective on Feminine Spirituality. Targum Press. 2003. ISBN 9781568712161.
• This Way Up: Torah Essays on Spiritual Growth. Feldheim Publishers. 2000. ISBN 9781583304167.
• More Precious Than Pearls: Selected Insights Into the Qualities of the Ideal Woman : Based on Eshes Chayil. Feldheim Publishers. 1993. ISBN 9780873066617.

• Bell, Yitzchok Leib, ed. (2012). Between Me & You: Heartfelt Prayers for Each Jewish Woman. Nachas Books. ISBN 978-1928822608.
• Einhorn, Rosie; Zimmerman, Sherry S. (2001). In the Beginning: How to survive your engagement and build a great marriage. Targum Press. ISBN 1568712901.
• Gray, Ahuvah (2004). Gifts of a Stranger: A Convert's Round-the-world Travels and Spiritual Journeys. Targum Press. ISBN 1568713312.
• Hager, Chaya Diane (2006). From Bogota to Madrid to Jerusalem: A family's fascinating journey. Israel Book Shop. ISBN 1931681686.
• Heller, Tziporah (1993). More Precious Than Pearls: Selected Insights Into the Qualities of the Ideal Woman Based on Eshes Chayil. Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 0873066618.
• Heller, Tziporah (2000). This Way Up: Torah essays on spiritual growth. Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 1583304169.
• Levine, David, ed. (2005). Get the Ring: How to find and keep the right one for life. Warm Wisdom Press. ISBN 0972621555.
• Rubinstein, Yehudah Yonah (2002). Dancing Through Time: And other essays. Targum Press. ISBN 1568712081.
• Shalit, Wendy (2007). Girls Gone Mild: Young women reclaim self-respect and find it's not bad to be good. Random House Publishing Group. p. 104. ISBN 978-1588365859.