Miriam Gonczarska

Last updated

Maharat

Miriam Gonczarska
Miriamgonczarska.JPG
Miriam Gonczarska
Personal
Born (1972-11-24) 24 November 1972 (age 50)
Warsaw, Poland
Religion Judaism
NationalityPolish
DenominationProgressive Judaism
Alma mater University of Warsaw, Yeshivat Maharat
ProfessionMaharat, journalist
Jewish leader
ProfessionMaharat, journalist
Positiongraduate (2015)
YeshivaYeshivat Maharat
OrganisationJewish Community of Warsaw

Miriam Gonczarska (born 24 November 1972) is a Jewish spiritual leader who in 2015 received her Semikhah as the first European, and in the same time the first Polish, maharat.

Contents

Early life and education

Gonczarska was born in Warsaw, Poland to the Polish-Jewish family. She is a daughter of Edmund Gonczarski (Mendel Garncarski; 1922–1979), poet and journalist and a Polish mother. [1]

In 1994 she graduated of LXI Secondary School in Warsaw. Soon after she converted to Judaism. From the beginning of 1990s she has been involved in revival of the Jewish community in Poland: [2] she co-created "Jidele" [3] (magazine for Jewish children), cooperated with "Midrasz" (Jewish cultural monthly magazine), and served as coordinator of educational programs at the Union of Jewish Religious Communities. She also worked as editor of "Kol Polin" – Hebrew language section of Radio Poland ( Polish Radio section for abroad). Her texts has been published also in press like "Więź" [4] [5] (Catholic monthly), "Gazeta Wyborcza", and "Przegląd Powszechny". [6] She has also served as Jewish law and religion expert for the polish television ("Babilon" program for TVN24, "Piąta strona nieba" [7] in Religia.tv, and press ("Wprost" [8] weekly). She worked also worked with Jewish cultural and religious portal Jewish.org.pl. [9]

She is a member, and also serves as Secretary, of the Religious Council of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities of Poland, member of the board of the polish Association of Jewish Women. [10] She also is a member of B'nai B'rith Polska and Jewish Historical Institute Association. Until 2014 she has also served as member of the Revision Board of the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw. She has also helped creating "Ec Chaim" – reform community by the Religious Jewish Community. [11] [12]

Miraim Gonczarska studied religious thought, and law and Torah in Israel (Nishmat, MaTan, and Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies) and in United States (Yeshiva Maharat). Gonczarska has a maharat (woman spiritual leader) degree [13] received after graduation of 5-year study program of Yeshiva Maharat. [14] She is the first European and Polish Jewish women to gain such degree and maharat title. [15] [16] [17] [18]

Inter-religious dialogue

Already as a student-member of PUSZ (Polish Union of Jewish Students), Gonczarska often participated in Christian-Jewish events like seminars or study tours organized by PUSZ together with KIK (Club of Catholic Intelligentsia). Her further involvement in Jewish community and studies of Jewish thought, [19] [20] went along her continuous commitment to dialogue between religions, especially with Christianity. [21] She served as member of the board of the Polish Council of Christians and Jews.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polskie Radio</span> Polish public broadcasting organization

Polskie Radio (PR) S.A. (English: Polish Radio) is Poland's national public-service radio broadcasting organization, founded in 1925. It is owned by the State Treasury of Poland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Daniel Rotfeld</span>

Adam Daniel Rotfeld is a Polish researcher, diplomat, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland from 5 January 2005 until 31 October 2005 when a change of government took place. He served earlier as the deputy foreign minister. While in that position, Rotfeld established the Warsaw Reflection Group on the UN Reform and the Transformation of the Euro-Atlantic Security Institutions, with participation from leading US and European experts and politicians.

After the fall of Communism in Poland in 1989, Jewish cultural, social, and religious life has experienced a revival. Many historical issues related to the Holocaust and the period of Soviet domination (1945–1989) in the country – suppressed by Communist censorship – have been reevaluated and publicly discussed leading to better understanding and visible improvement in Polish-Jewish relations. In 1990, there were 3,800 Jews in Poland, 0.01% of Poland’s population, compared to 3,250,000 before 1939. The number had dropped to 3,200 in 2010.

Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School (YCT) is a Modern Orthodox yeshiva, founded in 1999 by Rabbi Avi Weiss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agnieszka Graff</span>

Agnieszka Graff-Osser is a Polish writer, translator, commentator, feminist and women's and human rights activist. She studied in Oxford University, Amherst College and graduated from School of Social Sciences at Polish Academy of Sciences. She completed her PhD in English literature in 1999. In 2001, she published World without women, which was nominated to Nike Award in 2002. She works at the Warsaw University's Institute of the Americas and Europe and gives lectures on gender studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beit Warszawa Synagogue</span> Synagogue in Warsaw, Poland

Beit WarszawaSynagogue is a liberal Jewish synagogue officially opened in 1999 in Warsaw. It operates as a full-fledged synagogue with regular events, including Friday night and Saturday morning prayers. Beit Warszawa is a member of Beit Polska, the umbrella organization for the Progressive/Reform Judaism in Poland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva Synagogue</span> Synagogue in Poland

The Synagogue in Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva is a synagogue located in Lublin, Poland, in the building of Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva, on Lubartowska 85 Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piotr Gontarczyk</span> Polish historian (born 1970)

Piotr Gontarczyk is a Polish historian with a doctorate in history and political science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews</span> Historic museum in Warsaw

POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews is a museum on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto. The Hebrew word Polin in the museum's English name means either "Poland" or "rest here" and relates to a legend about the arrival of the first Jews to Poland.

The Ekstraliga is the top Polish league for women's association football teams.

Radomsk is a hasidic dynasty named after the town of Radomsko in Łódź province, south-central Poland. The dynasty was founded in 1843 by Shlomo Hakohen Rabinowicz. His son, grandson and great-grandson also led the dynasty, which had thousands of followers. On the eve of World War II, Radomsk was the third largest Hasidic dynasty in Poland, after Ger and Alexander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland</span>

The Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland, is a religious association formed by Jews living in Poland who adhere to Judaism. It was originally created in 1949 as the Religious Association of Judaism, and renamed in 1992. The Association's seat is located in Warsaw, with seven administrative branches throughout the country. ZGWŻ consists of approximately 2,000 members (1998) congregating in nine municipalities. The Union operates seven active synagogues and 15 prayer houses. Also, ZGWŻ publishes its own periodicals, as well as the popular Jewish Calendar. Since 2003, the president of the Union is Piotr Kadlčik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylwia Chutnik</span>

Sylwia Chutnik is a Polish novelist, writer, feminist and social activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ewa Pajor</span> Polish footballer

Ewa Pajor is a Polish football striker, currently playing for VfL Wolfsburg and the Poland national team.

Yeshivat Maharat is a Jewish educational institution in The Bronx, New York, which was the first Open Orthodox yeshiva in North America to ordain women. The word Maharat is a Hebrew acronym for phrase manhiga hilkhatit rukhanit Toranit, denoting a female "leader of Jewish law spirituality and Torah". Semikha and the title of Maharat are awarded to graduates after a 3- or 4-year-long program composed of intensive studies of Jewish law, Talmud, Torah, Jewish thought, leadership training, and pastoral counseling. The ordination functions as a credentialed pathway for women in the Jewish community to serve as clergy members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanda Nowicka</span> Polish activist and politician (born 1956)

Wanda Hanna Nowicka is a Polish activist and politician, Member of Parliament of Poland during 7th (2011–2015) and 9th terms (2019–2023). She served as the Deputy Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland from 8 November 2011 to 11 November 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piotr Jarecki</span>

Piotr Jarecki is a Polish prelate of the Catholic Church, Doctor of Social Sciences, Auxiliary Bishop of Warsaw since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–2021 women's strike protests in Poland</span> Anti-government protests triggered by tightening of abortion law

The 2020–2021 Women's Strike protests in Poland commonly called the Women's Strike, were anti-government demonstrations and protests in Poland that began on 22 October 2020, in reaction to a ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal, mainly consisting of judges who were appointed by the ruling Law and Justice dominated United Right, which tightened the law on abortion in Poland. The ruling made almost all cases of abortion illegal, including those cases in which the foetus had a severe and permanent disability, or an incurable and life-threatening disease. All-Poland Women's Strike was charged by the authorities for having illegally organised the protests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Małgorzata Kalinowska-Iszkowska</span> Polish computer scientist

Małgorzata Kalinowska-Iszkowska is a Polish computer scientist, educator, and activist. She was awarded the Polish Gold Cross of Merit for her work in information technology (IT). She was a member of the Polish Congress of Women.

References

  1. ↑ "Wirtualny Cmentarz". cemetery.jewish.org.pl. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "My schedule for Limmud NY 2014". limmudny2014.sched.org. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Gitelman, Zvi Y. (2003). New Jewish Identities: Contemporary Europe and Beyond. Central European University Press. p. 259. ISBN   9639241628.
  4. ↑ Kiedio, Prekursor. "Ku niebu i ku ziemi, Miriam Gonczarska | Marzec 2009 | WIĘŹ". Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  5. ↑ M. Gonczarska "Tora zeswatana z nowoczesnością" (en: "Torah and modernity"), in: "Więź", Issue no.2 (652)/2013 p. 102-109; publisher: Towarzystwo Więź, Warsaw 2013
  6. ↑ "Polska Żydówka". 27 June 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Piąta Strona Nieba – odc. 4 – cz.3, 20 October 2010, retrieved 18 June 2015
  8. ↑ "Odkopane korzenie". 6 January 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Szukaj". www.jewish.org.pl. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Maria Gonczarska, powiązany z POLSKA RADA CHRZEŚCIJAN I ŻYDÓW, STOWARZYSZENIE KOBIET ŻYDOWSKICH W POLSCE". www.monitorfirm.pl. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  11. ↑ "Świętują nowy rok kilka razy" . Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  12. ↑ Ginsberg, Johanna (24 February 2012). "'We want to place these women in synagogues'". New Jersey Jewish News. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "New cohort of clergy tests readiness for progressive women rabbis". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Miriam Gonczarska". Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Spotkanie z Miriam Gonczarską". 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ↑ "What to call an Orthodox female clergyperson?". The Times of Israel . Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "Miriam Gonczarska with a diploma - Virtual Shtetl". www.sztetl.org.pl. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "Religie: O kapłaństwie kobiet | RDC". rdc.pl. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  19. ↑ "SPECIAL REPORT: Rebirth of Jewish life in Poland – Jewish News" . Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "Polka, która ukończyła szkołę rabinów. 'Mama mnie ochrzciła, dla mojego bezpieczeństwa'". gazetapl (in Polish). Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  21. ↑ KAI, Katolicka. "XIII Dzień Judaizmu – ekai.pl". ekai.pl. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
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.