Miri Gold

Miri Gold is the first non-Orthodox rabbi in Israel to have her salary paid for by funds taken from taxpayers. ^[1] She was born in Detroit, but in 1977 she immigrated to Kibbutz Gezer along with other North Americans. ^[2] When the founder of the kibbutz's congregation (Kehilat Birkat Shalom) left, Gold began leading High Holidays services and preparing children for bat mitzvahs and bar mitzvahs. ^[3] Gold entered the Reform movement's Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in 1994, and was ordained in 1999. ^[4] At the time she was paid by the congregation, since the Israeli government did not recognize non-Orthodox rabbis. ^[5] Gold petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court in 2005 to change this, and in 2012 a ruling by the Israeli attorney general granted her request. ^{[6] [7]}

In November 2024, Rabbi Gold was awarded a Doctor of Divinity honoris causa by Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, "for her work as a pioneering rabbi who conceived, founded, and built Birkat Shalom Congregation in Kibbutz Gezer, a groundbreaking model of state support and recognition of Reform Judaism in Israel". ^[8]

References

1. "Historic Decision in Israel: Rabbi Miri Gold Recognized by State - URJ". Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
2. Parallelus. "Rabbi Miri Gold". Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
3. "Rabbi Miri Gold, the 'poster girl' of the battle to recognize non-Orthodox rabbis". Haaretz.com. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
4. "Rabbi Miri Gold, the 'poster girl' of the battle to recognize non-Orthodox rabbis". Haaretz.com. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
6. Administrator. "Historic Decision in Israel: Rabbi Miri Gold Recognized by State" . Retrieved 29 October 2014.
7. "Non-Orthodox Jews start making inroads in Israel". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
8. "Seven New Israeli Reform Rabbis Ordained at HUC-JIR Graduation at the Taube Family Campus in Jerusalem". Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Retrieved 22 December 2024.