Community Corner

First Female US Rabbi Offers Life Lessons at TBA

Local reform synagogue celebrates 40 years of women rabbis with the nation's first female rabbi.

Parsippany's congregation welcomed Rabbi Sally Priesand, America's first female rabbi, for the Temple’s annual Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat Services and Program on March 16.

Rabbi Priesand engaged the congregation with a lively presentation called "Reflections on My Life as a Rabbi." In it, she recounted her experiences and challenges in becoming the first female rabbi ordained in the U.S. and shared unique life lessons and keys to overcoming difficulties and adversity.

The rabbi, in her talk, offered five principles to live by: know yourself, don’t worry, always try your best, live with humility and maintain your sense of humor.

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Priesand, who lives in Ocean Township, was ordained in June 1972, by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1981-2006, she served as rabbi of Monmouth Reform Temple, becoming Rabbi Emerita upon her retirement. Nationally, she has served on executive boards of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Union for Reform Judaism.

Locally, Priesand is an honorary vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County and is president of Interfaith Neighbors. She also chairs the Clergy Advisory Committee of Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey and serves on the national Clergy Advisory Board of Planned Parenthood. 

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In 2010, in honor of its 125th anniversary, Good Housekeeping magazine named the rabbi as one of 125 women who changed our lives and our world.

TBA's Rabbi Ronald Kaplan said women have made and continue to make a huge impact in Reform Judaism.

"Since 1972, 611 capable and dynamic Jewish women have been ordained as Reform Rabbis," he said. "They continue to lead our liberal Jewish movement in America and throughout the world.

"As the pioneer in Jewish spiritual leadership, Rabbi Priesand initiated full equality for women among men in the liberal Jewish community."'

Kaplan said the temple was pleased to celebrate 40 years of women in the rabbinate with Rabbi Preisand.


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