Linda Joy Holtzman

Last updated
Rabbi
Linda Joy Holtzman
Personal
Religion Judaism

Linda Joy Holtzman is an American rabbi and author. [1] In 1979, she became one of the first women in the United States to serve as the presiding rabbi of a synagogue, when she was hired by Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County, which was then located in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. [2]

Contents

Biography

She had graduated in 1979 from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia, yet was hired by Beth Israel despite their being a Conservative congregation. [3] Holtzman was thus the first woman to serve as a rabbi for a solely Conservative congregation, as the Conservative movement did not then ordain women. [4] However, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso served as rabbi along with her husband at the congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis from 1977 until 2013; Beth El Zedeck is identified with both the Reconstructionist and Conservative movements. [5] [6] In 1979, The New York Times published the article "Only Female Presiding Rabbi in U.S. Begins Her Work in a Small Town", in which the author described Holtzman's hiring as "a marked breakthrough for the growing numbers of women who have faced obstacles in becoming a rabbi-in-charge", and quoted Holtzman as saying "the fact that I have an appointment in a small town and that they have entrusted me with functions they believe are important is very significant for women and for the Jewish community". In 1981 Holtzman became the first female rabbi to give a keynote speech for the World Congress of Gay and Lesbian Jews. [7]

She is the author of the article "Struggle, Change and Celebration: My Life as a Lesbian Rabbi" in the book Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation, edited by Rebecca Alpert, Sue Levi Elwell, and Shirley Idelson (Rutgers University Press, 2000). [8] She also wrote a chapter in Twice Blessed (Beacon Press, 1989) titled "Jewish Lesbian Parenting." [9] [10]

She is now the Adjunct Associate Professor of Practical Rabbinics at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the rabbi of the Tikkun Olam Chavurah in Philadelphia. [11] [12] She is also the leader of her local Reconstructionist chevra kadisha. [13] She is married to Betsy Conston, with whom she has raised two sons, Jordan and Zachary Holtzman-Conston. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

The subject of homosexuality and Judaism dates back to the Torah. The book of Vayikra (Leviticus) is traditionally regarded as classifying sexual intercourse between males as a to'eivah that can be subject to capital punishment by the current Sanhedrin under halakha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Judaism</span> Role of women in Judaism

Women in Judaism have affected the course of Judaism over millenia. Their role is reflected in the Hebrew Bible, the Oral Law, by custom, and by cultural factors. Although the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature present various female role models, religious law treats women in specific ways. According to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center, women account for 52% of the worldwide Jewish population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reconstructionist Rabbinical College</span> Jewish seminary in Wyncote, Pennsylvania

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) is a Jewish seminary in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. It is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. RRC has an enrollment of approximately 80 students in rabbinic and other graduate programs.

Amy Eilberg is the first female rabbi ordained in Conservative Judaism. She was ordained in 1985 by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, one of the academic centers and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism.

Jewish feminism is a movement that seeks to make the religious, legal, and social status of Jewish women equal to that of Jewish men in Judaism. Feminist movements, with varying approaches and successes, have opened up within all major branches of the Jewish religion.

Rabbi Rebecca Trachtenberg Alpert is Professor of Religion Emerita at Temple University, and was one of the first women rabbis. Her chief academic interests are religions and sports and sexuality in Judaism, and she says that her beliefs were transformed by a Sabbath prayer book that refers to God as 'She'.

Beth Israel Congregation is a Conservative synagogue located at 385 Pottstown Pike in Upper Uwchlan Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The congregation was founded in Coatesville in 1904 as Kesher Israel by Eastern European immigrants, and formally chartered as "Beth Israel" in 1916. It constructed its first building in 1923, and expanded it after World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women rabbis and Torah scholars</span> Jewish women in religious leadership

Women rabbis are individual Jewish women who have studied Jewish Law and received rabbinical ordination. Women rabbis are prominent in Progressive Jewish denominations, however, the subject of women rabbis in Orthodox Judaism is more complex. Although a significant number of Orthodox women have been ordained as rabbis, many major Orthodox Jewish communities and institutions do not accept the change. In an alternative approach, other Orthodox Jewish institutions train women as Torah scholars for various Jewish religious leadership roles. These roles typically involve training women as religious authorities in Jewish Law but without formal rabbinic ordination, instead, alternate titles are used. Yet, despite this alteration in title, these women are often perceived as equivalent to ordained rabbis. Since the 1970s, over 1,200 Jewish women have been ordained as rabbis.

The first openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender clergy in Judaism were ordained as rabbis and/or cantors in the second half of the 20th century.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) affirming denominations in Judaism are Jewish religious groups that welcome LGBT members and do not consider homosexuality to be a sin. They include both entire Jewish denominations, as well as individual synagogues. Some are composed mainly of non-LGBT members and also have specific programs to welcome LGBT people, while others are composed mainly of LGBT members.

Same-sex marriage in Judaism has been a subject of debate within Jewish denominations. The traditional view among Jews is to regard same-sex relationships as categorically forbidden by the Torah. This remains the current view of Orthodox Judaism.

Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is the first woman to have been ordained a rabbi in Reconstructionist Judaism. She was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia, on May 19, 1974. She is also the author of many children's books on religious topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tikkun Leil Shabbat</span>

Tikkun Leil Shabbat is an independent minyan or chavurah in Washington, DC, organized entirely by volunteer leadership and sponsored by Jews United For Justice, DC's local Jewish social justice organization. The name of the community is a reference both to Tikkun Leil Shavuot and tikkun olam. Its primary activity is Friday night, but it also meets on Jewish holidays and at other times. Tikkun Leil Shabbat attracts upward of 200 participants on Friday nights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denise Eger</span> American rabbi

Denise Eger is an American Reform rabbi. In March 2015, she became president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in North America; she was the first openly gay person to hold that position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Kleinbaum</span> American rabbi

Sharon Kleinbaum is an American rabbi who serves as spiritual leader of New York City's Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. She has been an active campaigner for human rights and civil marriage for gay couples.

Rachel Isaacs was the first openly lesbian rabbi ordained by the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary ("JTS"), which occurred in May 2011.

This is a timeline of women rabbis:

This is a timeline of LGBT Jewish history, which consists of events at the intersection of Judaism and queer people.

References

  1. ↑ "Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County". Jwa.org. 1979-08-01. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  2. ↑ "22 Women Now Ordained As Rabbis Most of Them Do Not Have Pulpits". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  3. ↑ The New York Times (18 August 1979). "First woman rabbi to head template seeks to lead way for more women". The Ledger . Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  4. ↑ Berman, Donna (2009). New Jewish Feminism: Probing the Past, Forging the Future - Elyse Goldstein. Jewish Lights Pub. ISBN   9781580233590 . Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  5. ↑ "Life - Indianapolis Star - indystar.com". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Sandy Sasso ordained as first female Reconstructionist rabbi". This Week in History. Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  7. ↑ Alpert, Rebecca T. (1997). Like Bread on the Seder Plate. Columbia University Press. ISBN   9780231096614 . Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Rabbis and Staff". Mishkan.org. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  9. ↑ "Rabbis and Staff". Mishkan.org. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  10. ↑ "Linda Holtzman • Profile • LGBT-RAN" . Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Rabbi Linda Holtzman". Rrc.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
  12. ↑ "Tikkun Olam Chavurah: A spiritual and political community grounded in Jewish tradition" . Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  13. ↑ "Honoring the Dead: The Reconstructionist Hevrah Kaddishah of Philadelphia". Reconstructing Judaism. 2016-03-01.
  14. ↑ "Linda Holtzman • Profile • LGBT-RAN" . Retrieved 29 October 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.