Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
How first female rabbi ‘fought for it’
Book details theology of gender, challenges women have to deal with in the rabbinate
Q: And there was so much publicity — national newspapers were writing about your goal to become a rabbi when you had barely started school. This book says you were on the cover of People magazine.
A: I’m a very private person, and it’s sort of the paradox of my personality that I chose a very public career. That is not something I ever, ever thought about. I just wanted to be a rabbi.
There was a lot of publicity. That was probably the hardest part of everything. And also knowing that people judged the idea of women in the rabbinate by virtue of what I did and what their experience of me was.
If people came to the synagogue for a bar mitzvah, as a guest, and I was the preacher that day, what they thought of women rabbis when they walked out the door was going to be whether I gave a good sermon or not . ... One of the other decisions I made was not to marry and have children. I always intended to. If you read early articles about me, I’d say, ‘Oh, I’m going to have a nursery in the synagogue next to my office.’ Somewhere along the way, I realized I was not going to be able to have a career and a family.
I think it wasn’t a hard choice. But if I look back now, I know every time that I could have gone one way, I went the other way and chose my career. My career always came first. And you know what? I’m not really sorry about that. Because I know all the people whose lives I’ve touched are part of my extended family.
Q: What are the other challenges that the book highlights?
A: Let me turn it the other way and say what I think we have learned. I think that the Jewish community is richer for the gifts that female rabbis bring — we have learned to rethink previous models of leadership, I think. We’ve really made it possible for partnership and networking and building relationships to take the place of hierarchy, which is really how synagogues used to be. I’m sure you probably know of examples where the rabbi just said, ‘This is how it is supposed to be, and that’s it.’ But I know when I came to this congregation, I was very open with them: ‘Look, I’m not here to be Jewish for you. I’m here to suggest ways that we can all be Jewish together.’
We’ve learned to accept new models of divinity. That’s really important, theologically, to know that God embodies characteristics both masculine and feminine. We’ve become more genderaware. And one of the things that’s so wonderful is that we’ve welcomed to (HUC-JIR) respected female scholars. When I was at the school, there were no women on the faculty. That really is very incredible, that they’re welcomed and really that they’re expected.
Q: Did you envision that, when you were a student? That someday not only would you not be the only woman, but women would be the majority of Reform Rabbinic students?
A: I not only envisioned it. I fought for it . . ..
Q: The book discusses so many topics, (including) the unique perspectives women bring to the rabbinate, the unique challenges women face. Are there any that particularly stood out to you as deserving of more recognition?
A: I hope people will read about Regina Jonas. I’ve been quite taken by her story. The four firsts (the first female rabbis in the Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative and Modern Orthodox denominations) went to Germany the summer before last, followed in her footsteps and dedicated a plaque in her memory at Terezin. There were so many things that were similar in her life and my life. It just blew me away. I couldn’t believe it.
“One of the reasons I wrote for this book and I supported this book was that I want to make sure future generations will know the story.”
Q: Just this month, Pope Francis made news by saying he wanted to study the possibility of female deacons. After all this time, is it surprising to you that Catholics and so many evangelical and other denominations don’t have a clergy role for women?
A: It’s not surprising to me. You know, the Catholic church is not that much different from Orthodox Judaism in regard to women being leaders. I feel that the day will come when they’ll be more than deacons . ... I’m always looking forward, if you want to move forward.