JOFA is a grassroots non-profit organization established in 1997 to educate and advocate for women's increased participation in Orthodox Jewish life and to create a community for women and men dedicated to such change. An invaluable resource for a community constantly balancing tradition and modernity, JOFA is guided by the principle that halakhic Judaism offers many opportunities for observant Jewish women to enhance their ritual observance and to increase their participation in communal leadership.

JOFA's Board of Directors is comprised of a diverse group of women who take responsibility for most of JOFA's projects and play an active role in shaping the direction of the organization. With the help of volunteers and the support of its membership JOFA has created a variety of programs and projects: international and regional conferences; publications which include the JOFA Journal, and Shema Bekolah, specially commissioned divrei Torah by female scholars; and a comprehensive website, which serves as a resource for halakhic and societal issues pertaining to women and Orthodoxy.