Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell, spiritual leader of Temple Concord, will teach “Scouts, Trailblazers, Pathfinders, Explorers: A History of Women Rabbis” on Thursdays, January 6, 13 and 20 and February 3, at 7 pm in the Temple Concord library and on Zoom. The four-session adult education series 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 J. Priesand and Regina Jonas (who are normally considered the first women rabbis); 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.

“The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Sally J. Priesand, the first woman publicly ordained as a rabbi,” said organizers of the class. “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.” 

To view the class on Zoom, click here, meeting ID 831 6163 3898 and passcode 243055. Those who are attending in person are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Priesand will speak to the local community on Zoom on Sunday morning, February 13. For more information about that event, see future issues of The Reporter. 

This adult education series was created by Rabbi Lisa Levenberg for the Women’s Rabbinic Network in honor of the 50th anniversary of women in the rabbinate.