Meet the Maharats: Questions for Rachel Kohl Finegold

Yesterday, Moment published an interview with Ruth Balinsky Friedman, who will graduate next month from the first school to train Orthodox female clergy. Today, Moment speaks with fellow classmate Rachel Kohl Finegold. Finegold is a graduate of the Drisha Scholars Circle and currently serves in a pastoral capacity as the Education & Ritual Director at Anshe Sholom B’nei Israel Congregation in Chicago. After her graduation, Finegold will become director of education and spiritual enrichment at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, an Orthodox synagogue in Montreal. Were you always interested in religious leadership? Not necessarily. When I came out of college I knew I wanted to work in Jewish education and knew I didn’t want to be in the classroom. I never imagined a synagogue role. I looked at Hillel jobs, I looked at high school jobs. I was looking...

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Meet the Maharats: Questions for Ruth Balinsky Friedman

In June the inaugural class of Yeshivat Maharat, the first institution to train Orthodox women as spiritual leaders and halakhic authorities, will graduate. The three graduates who have spent the past four years studying Jewish law and ritual as well as pastoral counseling and leadership training will earn the title Maharat (Manhiga Hilchatit Ruchanit Toranit) and become spiritual leaders for the Orthodox community. I spoke with one of the soon-to-be Maharat, Ruth Balinsky Friedman, last week at the Drisha Institute for Jewish education in New York City. After graduation Friedman will join the staff of Congregation Ohev Sholom —The National Synagogue in Washington, DC. Did you always see yourself in a pastoral role? My father is a rabbi, so one of most obvious career paths was right in front of me but I just never thought of spiritual...

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A Rabbah by any other name….

By Sarah Breger A few weeks ago a woman's title, but not her duties, changed. Maharat Sara Hurwitz, a member of the religious leadership  at a modern Orthodox synagogue in Riverdale became Rabba Sara Hurwitz at the same synagogue. This set off a firestorm in the Orthodox community, perhaps because of the close relationship of the term,  Rabba to Rabbi, which according to many is what Sara Hurwitz is. The ultra-Orthodox group Agudath Israel of America denounced Rabbi Avi Weiss, head of the Riverdale synagogue  who had conferred both the title of Maharat and then of Rabba on Sara Hurwitz, followed by rumblings that the centrist Rabbinical Council of America may expell him as well. However this Friday, to paraphrase one blogger, the rabbot were put back in the hat. The RCA and Weiss came to an...

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