This last Sunday I went to a program at my former congregation in Tinton Falls, NJ on the Jersey Shore. The program was entitled Four First Women Rabbis, and included a round table discussion with Rabbi Sally Priesand, America’s first female Rabbi and the representative from the Reform Movement, Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, from the Reconstructionist Movement, Rabbi Amy Eilberg from the Conservative Movement, and Rabba Sara Hurwitz from the Orthodox Movement. Each woman spoke about their experiences and how Rabbi Priesand led the way for all of them and the rest of the women in positions of leadership in the Jewish community.
The moderator spoke of their courage but each woman said they did not feel courageous they just wanted to be Rabbis. I have found this in discussions with all people who perform acts of heroism, they all say they were just doing what they wanted to do or what needed to be done. Each Rabbi said once the path was opened up by Sally they had some guidelines on how to proceed with their journey. They all spoke of their male colleagues who were supportive of them and of their mentors.
They told of supportive parents. We, as parents have an important job in encouraging our daughters to succeed in life. Girls can do anything in this world, and you certainly can do anything that is important to you, those were the words uttered by the parents of these extraordinary women. Even though their parents did not understand their choices they were there to support their daughters in the decisions they made.
The Rabbis spoke of their desire to serve the Jewish people, they were not driven by dreams of being rich and famous. It seems in our society today people want just to be famous and rich, that is the goal. These women became ‘famous” for their accomplishments not just because they were darlings of the media.
It has been forty years since Rabbi Priesand was ordained in Cincinnati,Ohio at the Hebrew-Union College. There was sexism, Sally could not find a job when she graduated she was the last in her class to find a pulpit. She began her career as the assistant Rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in NYC. That is the synagogue that was begun by Rabbi Stephen Wise in response to the problems he had as Rabbi of Temple Emmanuel in NYC. Rabbi Wise was a great orator and was one of the first people to understand the horrors of the Nazis.
During his employment at Temple Emmanuel the board expected Rabbi Wise to show his sermons to the board before he delivered them, in response to that Rabbi Wise formed his own synagogue. This was obviously a synagogue founded on the principles of equality and freedom. Although they hired Sally out of school they did not make her the senior Rabbi when Rabbi Ed Klein the senior at Stephen Wise died while Sally was serving as his assistant. It took many years for women Rabbis to be accepted in a Senior Rabbi position. As in society in general women clergy are not on equal footing when it comes to compensation.
I served with Sally for six years at Monmouth Reform Temple. We were the first ordained all woman pulpit in the country. I can attest to the fact of her many Rabbinic gifts. She is one of the finest pulpit Rabbis we have. I can also say the other panelists were extraordinary as well. One does not blaze a path unless the passion and commitment is there. It was inspiring for all those attending to be in the presence of women so committed to Judaism and the Jewish people.
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