The Untold Stories of Jewish Women in the Sciences

There is no denying that gender, religion, and ethnicity have had a major impact on the careers and legacies of pioneering scientists, including Jewish women who have felt the strain of these limitations and been under-recognized by the scientific establishment despite significant accomplishments. Just a few examples include Rita Levi-Montalcini, an Italian Jew who made important discoveries about the nervous and immune systems; Esther Lederberg, who found new methods and results in microbial genetics in the U.S.; and Ora Kedem, who was a distinguished inventor of desalination membranes and helped to develop Israeli high-tech. This talk will explore how these and other Jewish women changed the face of science, technology, engineering, and math, despite significant barriers of opportunity and recognition.