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Early women religious leaders

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on August 15, 2007 at 12:31:38 pm
 

EARLY WOMEN RELIGIOUS LEADERS

 

 

Although our subject here is understanding the philosophy and theology of the movements of American Judaism by examining the way each movement has addressed the subject of ordination of women as rabbis, we would be remiss if we did not briefly address the women who set the stage for those who ultimately became the first ordained women rabbis.
A.  Ray Frank:  
Ray Frank (1861-1948) was a Jewish educator and journalist who lived in California.  She was a very popular religious school teacher, and her popularity led to her appointment as the principal of the school.  In 1890, Ray Frank was in Spokane, Washington for her newspaper work on the eve of Rosh Hashana.  She was shocked to discover that there was no synagogue in Spokane, even though there was actually a sizeable and fairly wealthy Jewish community there.  Frank told a member of the Jewish community how dismayed she was, and he offered to arrange Rosh Hashana services if she would agree to give the sermon.  Frank agreed, and the rest is history.  From that point on, Frank became a highly respected travelling preacher.  She continued her work until she got married in  1901.  She received much acclaim and press coverage, and was called "the Girl Rabbi of the Golden West." For more information about this fascinating woman and her legacy, click on the links below.  

 

         On-line exhibit

 

         The American Jewess

 

 

B.  Regina Jonas:

 

Regina Jonas was the first woman to be ordained as an Orthodox rabbi.  She was a student at the Wissenschaft in Berlin, and while the school refused to ordain her institutionally, she received private ordination from _________.  

 

 

 

 

For more information on this subject, see Women Who Would Be Rabbis by Pamela S. Nadell (Beacon Press: 1998)

 

 

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