Sandy Eisenberg Sasso

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Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (born January 29, 1947 [1] ) is the first woman to have been ordained a rabbi in Reconstructionist Judaism. [2] 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.

Contents

Biography

Youth and early life

Sasso was born in 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In her youth, she was very involved in her Philadelphia Reform congregation and began to consider entering the rabbinate at 16 years old, though she knew that such a role had never been open to women. During this period she studied at Gratz College.

Rabbinical school

In the fall of 1969, Sasso joined the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College's second class of rabbinical students. [Notes 1] [3] While in school, Sandy Eisenberg married her classmate, Dennis Sasso, making them the first rabbinical couple in Jewish history. [3] As one of the few women rabbinical students, Sasso naturally became a leader in defining women's changing roles within Judaism. [Notes 2] [3] Sasso holds title to many firsts as a female rabbi.

Rabbinical life

Sasso served as rabbi of the Manhattan Reconstructionist Congregation and, from 1977 until 2013, as rabbi along with her husband at the congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis, making the Sassos the world's first couple to serve jointly as rabbis. [4]

Sasso appeared in a 2005 documentary, titled And the Gates Opened: Women in the Rabbinate, which features stories of and interviews with her, rabbi Sally Priesand, and rabbi Amy Eilberg. [5] [6]

On December 6, 2010, at Temple Reyim in Newton, Massachusetts, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso met for the first time with Sally Priesand, the first Reform female rabbi, Amy Eilberg, the first Conservative female rabbi, and Sara Hurwitz, considered by some to be the first Orthodox female rabbi. [7] [8] They and approximately 30 other women rabbis lit Hanukkah candles and then spoke about their experiences in an open forum. [7] [8]

On June 3, 2012, Priesand, Sasso, Eilberg, and Hurwitz met again, this time at Monmouth Reform Temple at a celebration honoring the four first women rabbis to be ordained in their respective movements, and the 40th anniversary of Priesand's ordination. [9]

In May 2013, Sasso retired as senior rabbi of Beth-El Zedeck. [4]

Works

Children's books

Other works

Awards and honors

Sasso has been honored throughout her career: [13] [14]

See also

Notes

  1. When the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College was founded by Mordecai Kaplan in 1968, it was assumed that women would be welcome as students. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso was accepted without debate or subsequent controversy.
  2. Reconstructionist women rabbis have been instrumental in the creation of rituals, stories, music, and theologies that have begun to give women's experience a voice in Judaism.

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References

  1. National Library of Israel authority database.
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  3. 1 2 3 "Sandy Sasso ordained as first female Reconstructionist rabbi". This Week in History. Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Life - Indianapolis Star - indystar.com". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  5. Brown, Ellen Schur (March 27, 2008). "What women bring to the rabbinate". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  6. "BCC Professor & BCC Graduate Win EMMY Awards". CUNY. April 27, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "The Jewish Chronicle - Classifieds, News, Business, and Events" . Retrieved October 29, 2014.
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  10. Jaffe, Hirshel (May 4, 2016). "The Message of the Sacred Calling: Our Journey to True Equality | RavBlog". Ravblog.ccarnet.org. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  11. Zauzmer, Julie (December 14, 2012). "'I not only envisioned it. I fought for it': The first female rabbi isn't done yet". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  12. The Sacred Calling ccarpress.org
  13. "Rabbi Sandy Sasso". beliefnet.com.
  14. "HUC-JIR Announces 2013 Graduation and Ordination Ceremonies in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and New York" . Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  15. "Past Winners of the National Jewish Book Award for Illustrated Children's Book". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  16. "2022 Gala, Rabbi Levy's Shabbat Message, Tzedek Council and more... ✨". www.kol-ami.org.
  17. 1 2 "Video: Holy Sparks – Celebrating 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate". Jewish Art Salon. January 30, 2022.
  18. Janelle Gelfand (May 13, 2022). "Celebrating community: Exhibits hail 200 years of Jewish contributions in Cincinnati". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved December 31, 2023 via bizjournals.com.

Videos

Videos produced by Sonia Sarah Lipsyc director of Aleph CSUQ, and Abigail Hirsch a Film Producer with Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso at Dorshei Emet Synagogue, Montreal,Canada:

Further reading