Asking the Clergy: Reflecting on 50 years of female rabbis

June marks the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Rabbi Sally J. Priesand, the first woman in the world to be ordained by a rabbinical seminary, according to the Jewish Women’s Archive. This week’s clergy discuss the progress female rabbis have seen during the past half century and the challenges to gaining full representation and acceptance in a still mostly male rabbinate.

Rabbi Beth H. Klafter

Senior rabbi, Temple Beth David, Commack; co-president, Women's Rabbinic Network

I was a young teenager at Temple Beth-El of Great Neck in 1972 when Sally J. Priesand was ordained as a Reform rabbi, opening the door for me and future generations of women to follow. I proudly walked through that door in 1988, and since then I have seen women expanding the role of rabbis, oftentimes leading the way in innovation.

We have brought new insights and expectations to the work-life balance to allow time for family and personal commitments, an expectation now shared with rabbis of all genders. We have raised up the voices and experiences of Jewish women throughout history, thereby encouraging all people to find their own place in Judaism. 

With all of these accomplishments, the door Rabbi Priesand opened 50 years ago remains heavy. Women still do not have full and equal access to all professional positions. There is still pay inequity in the rabbinate, and women are not always fully represented in panel discussions and academic appointments. Rabbis who are women continue to work toward justice and equity for all in the Jewish community and beyond.

I am proud to be among those rabbis and people of all genders remaining vigilant in holding the door wide open for the generations yet to come.

Rabbi Ilana Schachter

Temple Sinai of Roslyn

As a rabbi, I feel so much gratitude for the pioneers who paved the way for my professional path. Although 50 years ago, a woman pursuing the rabbinate was groundbreaking, today women are able to do so in almost every major denomination in Judaism. Moreover, the inclusion of women in the rabbinate has opened the door to broader diversity today, including rabbis of color and LGBTQ+ rabbis.

Women are powerful and innovative spiritual leaders, contributing unique perspectives and rituals to the Jewish landscape. To date, more than 1,500 women have been ordained worldwide as rabbis, and they work in every area of Jewish life, according to a recent Hadassah Magazine survey.

Yet many people still see the rabbinical role as male and seek out only a male voice when in need of rabbinical perspective. We can and should work more intentionally to ensure that women’s voices are appropriately represented so that the world can witness their wisdom and experiences, and benefit from their leadership. In the past 50 years we’ve seen a beautiful transformation of the rabbinical community, inclusive of all genders. May the next 50 years more publicly celebrate that diversity of rabbinical voices.

Rabbi Bonnie Steinberg of New Hyde Park

After Sally Priesand opened the doors for women in liberal Jewish religious life, the possibilities were great. We would add the vital voices of women and marginalized Jews and enrich the experiences for everyone.

In 1979 I became the first woman engaged to work as a rabbi on Long Island as the Hillel director and Jewish chaplain at Hofstra University. Since then, women in the rabbinate have done a lot of hard and meaningful work. We’ve discovered anew texts in old writings that had been discounted, we’ve revived once neglected traditions, and we’ve created new liturgies and ways of seeing so many aspects of Jewish tradition.

We’ve also encountered sexism even as we assumed that the collaboration with men and ancient traditions would be welcome and inspirational. I had this idea that if we worked hard and showed our dedication and love for the Jewish traditions and compassion for people, the persistent focus on gender would become less important. I was right that many women would enter the rabbinate and do the hard work alongside men. But the persistent awareness of gender has not gone away. At times that is a barrier to further social justice.