Photo: Yona Broder
From TikTok to Torah: Golda Daphna’s Journey to Lapidot
Golda Daphna, a popular social media influencer, is among the new students at Mizrachi Lapidot. Rabbi Aron White spoke with her about her journey to Israel and joining the Mizrachi Lapidot program at the Mizrachi Tzemach David Women’s Learning Hub.
Can you tell us about your background before moving to Israel?
I grew up in a family of ba’alei teshuva through Chabad and attended Beis Ya’akov, followed by SKA high school. After studying at MMY for a year, I went on to Columbia to study engineering, with plans to pursue medical school. During a summer trip to Israel, something clicked – I realized I didn’t want to spend the next decade in America. So, I made the decision to make Aliyah. I arrived at the end of September 2023, and then the war broke out just a week later.
How did the war affect your plans?
The war had a profound impact on me. I found myself attending many funerals and shivas, and it made me realize that academic credentials didn’t feel like the most important thing at that moment. So, I decided to join the IDF. As a biomedical engineer, I was assigned to a unit that provided medical equipment and whole blood units to the frontlines. I served throughout the war and just finished my service a few weeks ago.
How did you come to the Mizrachi Lapidot program?
I posted on Instagram that I was looking for a serious Torah learning opportunity. I was living in Tel Aviv, but many of the shiurim I found seemed geared toward ba’alei teshuva or were at a more basic level. A friend told me about Lapidot, so I signed up, was accepted, and I love it! Although I’ve only been here for a few weeks, it’s already given me a much deeper appreciation for the halachic system. Learning sugyot in depth, starting with the Gemara and diving into the Rishonim, really shows how seriously we take their opinions and how halacha is rooted in something profound. Sometimes, when you’re outside of a Torah environment, you can lose that sense, so it’s a real merit to reconnect with it.
You’re also a prominent voice on social media. How did that happen, and what’s your perspective on sharing Torah there?
I started my social media profile a few years ago and had about 30,000 followers on TikTok before the war. But I became more of an “October 8th influencer” after the war began. A friend suggested I start sharing content related to Israel, and my following grew, especially after I joined the army. At first, I used my platform to express some of my religious frustrations, but now I’m sharing Torah ideas from a very different perspective.
I do believe social media can be a powerful tool for sharing Torah. The Lubavitcher Rebbe was a strong advocate for using technology to spread Torah, and I see how people connect with personalities on these platforms. Sharing Torah through anecdotes or personal experiences allows me to connect with others in a way that can help them engage with Torah in their own lives.
The World Mizrachi Lapidot Program is a unique educational initiative designed for women seeking to deepen their knowledge of Torah while engaging in a rigorous academic environment. Offering in-depth learning of Jewish texts, from Gemara to halacha, the program provides a transformative experience that combines intellectual growth with spiritual development. Lapidot encourages a dynamic approach to Jewish learning, fostering a strong connection to tradition while empowering women to become leaders in the Jewish community.