jGirls Magazine

jGirls is an online magazine written by and for self-identifying Jewish teenage girls that puts out two new pieces every week. The online magazine and community is a chutzpah-filled space for the diverse voices of Jewish teen girls. jGirls joins the critical, growing field of organizations fostering the voices of Jewish teenage girls. jGirls’ teen editorial board solicited more than 120 pieces of content from 70 girls for its soft launch. To date, they have received 250 pieces from 175 girls in 26 states. The magazine showcases works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, visual arts, and music to encourage discussion across shared experiences and differences. The stories aren’t the horoscope, quizzes, and “what not to wear” pieces that  ll the glossy pages of other publications. Instead, jGirls writers tackle the hard parts of growing up: feminism, family, divorce, assault, mental health, and more. 

Creating content is just a small part of the jGirls mission. Read between the lines and you’ll find that it’s also to create bold, committed Jewish female leaders. (Heck, yeah!) Teenage editors are trained and empowered to make the editorial decisions for jGirls, truly creating the content and community for their peers “in their own image.” Editors are even paid a stipend. The jGirls community reflects aspects of Jewish life that are traditionally underrepresented or marginalized. The mosaic of community members represents many variations of Jewish self-identification, geography, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, schooling, race/ethnicity, ability, and interests. The community’s wide range of perspectives creates inclusivity and sharing opportunities. jGirls hopes to be the go-to space for girls across Jewish identities to express themselves, exchange ideas, and find role models and peers. Both jGirls’ content and its system of providing teen girls with ownership of a creative community are worth a major celebration.