In the intricate tapestry of contemporary Jewish thought and feminist discourse, few voices resonate with the unique blend of authenticity, scholarship, and raw courage as that of Bryna Lublin. An educator, writer, and spiritual guide, Lublin has carved out a distinctive space where unwavering Orthodox faith meets an unflinching examination of women’s experiences, trauma, and the quest for personal wholeness. Her work is not a critique from the outside but a transformative journey from within, making her one of the most compelling and necessary figures in modern religious dialogue.
From Educator to Empowered Voice
Bryna Lublin’s foundation was built in the world of Jewish education. For years, she served as a teacher and principal within Orthodox institutions, deeply immersed in transmitting tradition. However, her path took a profound turn as she began to publicly grapple with the complexities of her own life experiences within that same tradition. Lublin embarked on a brave process of integrating the full spectrum of her identity—a devout Jewish woman, a trauma survivor, and a seeker of emotional and spiritual truth.
This evolution led her beyond the classroom to become a certified trauma professional and relationship coach. Her practice, “At the Well,” is aptly named, evoking a place of gathering, life-giving sustenance, and deep encounter—much like the biblical wells where pivotal meetings occurred. Here, she guides individuals and couples, particularly women, through the challenges of relationships, intimacy, and healing, using a framework that is deeply rooted in Torah wisdom yet informed by modern psychology.
Writing as Revelation and Revolution
Lublin’s impact exploded into wider consciousness with her groundbreaking writing. Her articles, published in platforms like Hevria, The Forward, and Mishpacha Magazine, are seismic. They tackle subjects often shrouded in silence within parts of the Orthodox community: sexual abuse, marital strife, female desire, and the emotional toll of rigid religious structures.
What sets her work apart is its tone. It is neither accusatory nor apologetic. It is devastatingly honest, lyrical, and anchored in a deep love for Jewish life. In her widely-read pieces, she dissects the pain of the taharas mishpacha (family purity) rituals when approached without empathy, the loneliness of unmet emotional needs in religious marriages, and the silent suffering caused by institutional neglect. She writes not to destroy faith, but to redeem it from pain—to argue that true holiness cannot be built on unaddressed trauma or the suppression of the human spirit.
Her voice is a clarion call for a more compassionate, nuanced, and woman-integrated Orthodox practice. She challenges rabbis, educators, and community leaders to look beyond the legal minutiae and see the human beings—especially the women—living those laws.
“The Well-Worn Ladder”: A Memoir of Ascent
This journey culminated in her powerful memoir, The Well-Worn Ladder. The title itself is a potent metaphor: the ladder of religious observance, worn smooth by generations of use, which can feel both like a path to ascent and a structure of confinement. In the book, Lublin traces her life from a childhood marked by trauma and a crisis of faith to her rebirth as a healer and empowered woman of faith.
The memoir is more than a personal story; it is a theological and social document. It provides a blueprint for how one can hold profound conflict—love for God and fury at His perceived absence, commitment to Halakha (Jewish law) and anguish at its sometimes inhuman application—and not break. Instead, she models how to hold that tension until it forges a stronger, more authentic, and more compassionate faith.
The Core of Her Philosophy: Integration
At the heart of Bryna Lublin’s mission is the concept of integration. She argues that the split between the spiritual and the emotional, the ritual and the psychological, is a dangerous falsehood.
- Integrating Trauma and Faith: She insists that spiritual growth is impossible without addressing psychological wounds. “You can’t daven (pray) well if you’re dissociated,” she has essentially argued, bringing the language of therapy into the beit midrash (study hall).
- Integrating Femininity and Torah: She advocates for a religious life where women’s voices, experiences, and bodies are not seen as obstacles to holiness but as central to its expression. She seeks a Judaism where the feminine is not managed, but revered.
- Integrating Law and Love: Her work continually presses the question: How can we observe the commandments in a way that truly leads to love—of God, of spouse, of self, and of community?
A Contested and Crucial Figure
Unsurprisingly, Lublin’s outspokenness has made her a controversial figure in some circles. Some traditionalists view her work as threatening, airing private community matters in public. Yet, for thousands of readers—women and men across the Orthodox spectrum and beyond—she is a lifeline. Her words have given voice to unspoken pain, validated hidden struggles, and offered a vision of a faith that can hold people in their complexity.
Bryna Lublin represents a new wave of Orthodox leadership: one that emerges from the grassroots of human experience, armed with psychological insight and literary talent. She is not a rabbi, but a rabbi of the heart. She is mapping the uncharted interior landscape of the religious soul in the 21st century, proving that the most fearless act of faith may be to finally speak your truth—and in doing so, help heal a community. Her well of wisdom, drawn from depths of pain and perseverance, offers waters of healing for a generation navigating the intersection of ancient tradition and modern selfhood.
Micheal