Scouts, Trailblazers, Pathfinders, Explorers: A History of Women Rabbis

2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Sally J. Priesand, the first woman publicly ordained as a rabbi. Yet, her groundbreaking ordination, which opened the door for subsequent generations of women, was preceded by the impactful lives of other, lesser-known female scholars and community leaders. In this four-session adult education series, we will spotlight a few of the significant women from the 1500s to the early modern period who held quasi-rabbinic status in their communities; compare and contrast the ordinations of Rabbis Sally Priesand and Regina Jonas (Who? Come find out!); explore the challenges faced by the first generation of women in the rabbinate; and reflect on how women’s leadership has changed the rabbinate and the Jewish community as a whole.