Sara Hurwitz

Sara Hurwitz is an Orthodox Jewish spiritual leader aligned with the "Open Orthodox" faction of Modern Orthodox Judaism in the United States. She is considered by some to be the first female Orthodox rabbi.[2][3][4] She serves as "Rabba" at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale,[5] and the president and co-founder of Yeshivat Maharat,[6] both in Riverdale, New York.

For people with similar names, see Sara Horowitz (disambiguation).
Rabba

Sara Hurwitz
Artistic rendering of Rabba Sara Hurwitz
Personal
Born
Johannesburg, South Africa
ReligionJudaism
SpouseJosh Abraham[1]
DenominationOrthodox Judaism
Alma materBarnard College
Midreshet Lindenbaum
Yeshivat Maharat
PositionRabba
SynagogueHebrew Institute of Riverdale
PositionPresident
YeshivaYeshivat Maharat

Biography

Hurwitz was born in South Africa,[7] and moved to Boca Raton, Florida with her family in 1989. She earned a B.A. from Barnard College and a certificate from the Drisha Institute for Women.[8]

In June 2009, Sara Hurwitz was ordained by Rabbi Avi Weiss with the title "Maharat".[9] In February 2010, Weiss announced that he was changing the title to "Rabba",[4] a move criticised by both Agudath Yisrael and the Rabbinical Council of America.[10][11]

Within several years of Hurwitz's ordination, subsequent Orthodox women also received ordination as well as positions within Orthodox synagogues. This development indicated that Hurwitz was no longer an exception within Orthodox Judaism.[12]

On Dec. 6th, 2010, at Conservative Temple Reyim in Newton, MA, Sara Hurwitz met with Amy Eilberg, the first Conservative rabbi, Sally Priesand, the first Reform female rabbi, and Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, the first Reconstructionist female rabbi.[13][14] They and approximately 30 other women rabbis lit Chanukah candles and then spoke about their experiences in an open forum.[13][14]

On June 3, 2012, Priesand, Sasso, Eilberg, and Hurwitz met again, this time at Monmouth Reform Temple at a celebration honoring the four first women rabbis to be ordained in their respective denominations, and the 40th anniversary of Priesand's ordination.[15]

Recognition

In 2013, Hurwitz was awarded the Hadassah Foundation Bernice S. Tannenbaum prize. The following year, Hurwitz received the annual Myrtle Wreath Award from the Southern New Jersey Region of Hadassah,[16] and in 2016 she received the Trailblazer Award at UJA Federation of New York.

Hurwitz was named as one of Jewish Week's 36 Under 36, the Forward's 50 most influential Jewish leaders, and Newsweek's 50 most influential rabbis.

The art exhibit “Holy Sparks”, which opened in February 2022 at the Heller Museum and the Skirball Museum, featured 24 Jewish women artists, who had each created an artwork about a female rabbi who was a first in some way.[17][18][19] Kathryn Jacobi created the artwork about Hurwitz.[19]

See also

References
  1. "Sara's Story". Yeshivat Maharat. July 6, 2010. Archived from the original on January 24, 2012.
  2. Chottiner, Lee (June 10, 2011). "Pioneering clergy". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  3. "Celebrating the First Lights of Women Rabbis". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  4. Dresner, Stacey (March 4, 2010). "First Orthodox Woman Rabbi is ordained in NY". Jewish Ledger. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  5. Cohen, Debra Nussbaum (March 3, 2010). "Woman 'Rabba' Roils Orthodox World". The Forward. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  6. Freedman, Samuel G. (July 26, 2013). "A Jewish Pathbreaker Inspired by Her Countryman Mandela". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  7. Eisner, Jane (November 14, 2009). "Forward 50, 2009". The Forward. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  8. Pogrebin, Abigail (July 11, 2010). "The Rabbi and the Rabba". New York. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  9. Harris, Ben (March 3, 2009). "Orthodox Female Rabbi? False Alarm". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on December 7, 2012.
  10. Breger, Sarah (November 2010). "Do 1 Rabba, 2 Rabbis and 1 Yeshiva = a New Denomination?". Moment Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  11. Brown, Elicia; Rosenblatt, Gary (March 16, 2010). "'Rabba' Hurwitz Mulling Retracting New Title". The Jewish Week. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  12. Frishman, J. (2019). The Ordination of Women and the Question of Religious Authority. Gender and Religious Leadership: Women Rabbis, Pastors, and Ministers, 289.
  13. "- Classifieds, News, Business, and Events". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  14. "Celebrating the First Lights of Women Rabbis". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  15. "Four Firsts". fourfirsts.org. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  16. Rubin, Debra (November 3, 2014). "Women honor Orthodoxy's first 'rabba'". New Jersey Jewish News.
  17. "2022 Gala, Rabbi Levy's Shabbat Message, Tzedek Council and more... ✨". kol-ami.org.
  18. https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2022/05/13/jewish-contributions-in-cincinnati.html
  19. "VIDEO: HOLY SPARKS – Celebrating 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate". Jewish Art Salon. January 30, 2022.
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