A New ‘Rabba’ In Riverdale, But Not By Avi Weiss

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avi-weissThe number of women in America with the title “rabba” – female for rabbi – is poised to double next week, according to a report in The Jewish Week. The Academy of Jewish Religion in Riverdale, a 55-year-old pluralistic seminary, will bestow that dubious title on Kaya Stern-Kaufman, 47, of Great Barrington, Mass., at a ceremony on May 12.

Rabbi Avi Weiss of Riverdale conferred the same title last year on Sara Hurwitz, who studied for three years at the Drisha Institute and five years with Rabbi Weiss. Matzav.com has been at the forefront of reporting on Avi Weiss’ activities over the last couple of years – including policies of his school, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and his introduction of “Open Orthodoxy. In March of last year, Matzav.com reported that Weiss said that his change in title from “Maharat” to “Rabba”  precipitated a “level of controversy in the Orthodox community that was neither expected nor intended.  In light of the tension caused to our greater community and my commitment to the principle of gadol hashalom…It is not my intention or the intention of Yeshivat Maharat to confer the title of ‘Rabba’ upon its graduates.”

Weiss is not affiliated with The Academy of Jewish Religion in Riverdale, though the Academy seems to be following his lead in the ordination of women rabbis.

Stern-Kaufman said she follows seven generations of Orthodox rabbis in her family and felt “uncomfortable” with the prospect of having the same title they held – “rav” (rabbi) – conferred upon her, according to The Jewish Week.

“It is a masculine term that has been used for 2,000 years to describe a male rabbi,” she explained. “It’s important for me to be acknowledged for the contribution I hope to make as a woman rabbi.”

Married and the mother of two teenagers, the rabbinate will be Stern-Kaufman’s third career following stints as a clinical social worker and as a Feng Shui consultant in architecture and interior designing. Throughout those careers she worked part-time as a “Jewish educator,” according to The Jewish Week.

Ora Horn Prouser, executive vice president and dean of the academy, said a few of last year’s graduates had asked to be ordained with the title of “rabba” but that “we were not prepared as an institution” to do that.

“We needed time to study it and consider the ramifications,” Prouser said. “We ultimately decided that we think there is enough validity to this title that we want to give our students a choice to be ordained in English as ‘rabbi’ or in Hebrew as ‘rabba.'”

The academy’s decision came in January. Stern-Kaufman noted that about a year ago the Academy of the Hebrew Language in Israel officially entered the word “rabba” into the Hebrew language.

She noted that she is the only one of the seven women in her class who has chosen to be ordained using the word “rabba.”

“It is very important to some women that they have the same title as a man who is doing the same job, just as a woman doctor should not be called something different than a male doctor,” Stern-Kaufman said. “Creating a gender for the word ‘rabbi,’ they felt, would in some way diminish the authority of the office.”

Read the full report by Stewart Ain at The Jewish Week.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


12 COMMENTS

  1. “Avi Weiss, an Orthodox rabbi”
    HE might call himself orthodox, but why does Matzav honor him with this description?
    Orthodox JudaismFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Orthodox Judaism is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin (“Oral Torah”) and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim.

  2. What low self-esteem this woman must have if she can’t accept that the biggest Torah giants didn’t think it was necesary for woman to be called “Rabbah.” She, however doesn’t really worry about a mesorah, as long she is publicly acknowledged as someone equal to men. How about just doing ratzon Hash-m without cheshbonos and not being jealous of others or searching for kavod. May Hash-m have rachamim on everyone involved

  3. Soon Michelle Obama will show you an authentic S’micha showing that she too is a Rabba. These Obamas are good at photoshoping certificates.

  4. I am surprised that this item merits even a mention. The Faculty of this institution is packed solid with Conservative (Jewish Teological Seminary) or Reform graduates, including women “rabbis”. including Rabbi Vicki Axe, Rabbi Jill Hammer etc. Check their website arjsem.org.
    So why are they using the title “Rabbah” and not “Rabbi”. Probably so that you should take notice and give them free publicity.

  5. Going to start a trend of eating “kosher ham n cheese” sandwiches. It should be acceptable since we I am calling them “kosher ham n cheese”. I am sure it will catch on if enough of us start eating them and we declare that anyone who doesn’t support us discriminates against pigs and our personal rights.

  6. Since when does the Orthodox community have a monopoly on the Hebrew language. The term ‘rabba’ is the female term for rabbi and has been in use in Israel for years by progressive female rabbis.

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