fbpx
37.6 F
Spokane
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeCommentaryAskAsk a Jew: Can a woman become a rabbi if her mother...

Ask a Jew: Can a woman become a rabbi if her mother is not Jewish?

Date:

Related stories

My Journey through Homelessness Part Five: Learning to Live Outside the Box

The value of my homeless experience lies not so much in having learned how to live outside — at least not in the geographical sense. The value of my homeless experience lies in having learned how to live outside the box.

Lost in Translation: Isn’t It Time We Moved Beyond a Fear-Based Repentance?

When I hear the kingdom is at hand, followed immediately by the command to repent, the good news is overshadowed by the fear that I’m not good enough to be part of the kingdom of God.

Inspiring Others: How Our Marriage Turned 50

As we prepare to celebrate 50 years there are so many thoughts and memories going through my head. I have joked about how I don't know how you've put up with me for this long, which is really true in a sense with my Irish enthusiasm and temper.

Taking the Road ‘Less Traveled by’ Has Made ‘All the Difference’

Pete Haug remembers hearing Robert Frost read his poem "The Road not Taken" 65 years ago. It reminded him of his spiritual journey out of the Christianity of his youth into choosing the Baha'i faith as an adult.

Ask an EOC: Can You Confess in Private to God but not in Church Confession and be Forgiven?

Concerning the sacrament of Confession, Christ directly gave the authority to his Church to remit or retain the sins of the penitent. 

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img

What questions do you have about Judaism? Submit them online, or fill out the form below.

By Neal Schindler

Can a woman become a rabbi if her mother is not Jewish?

In Reform Judaism and other progressive denominations, such as Reconstructionist and Renewal, Jewish identity can be passed down patrilineally. In other words, Reform Jewish communities like Spokane’s Congregation Emanu-El recognize my son as Jewish even though his mother isn’t Jewish, because I, his father, am Jewish. Conservative communities such as Temple Beth Shalom and Orthodox communities would not recognize my son as Jewish; he would have to convert in order to be recognized as Jewish, since his mother isn’t Jewish.

Thus, if a particular denomination allows women to be rabbis (I believe all but Orthodox do), and a particular woman meets that denomination’s definition of Jewish identity, then she can be a rabbi (once she completes all the requisite training). So if a woman wants to be a Conservative rabbi, she must either have a Jewish mother or she must convert. If a woman wants to be a Reform, Reconstructionist, or Renewal rabbi, she must have one Jewish parent or she must convert according to the criteria of the denomination of the community she wants to serve and lead.

 

Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler
A native of Detroit, Neal Schindler has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 2002. He has held staff positions at Seattle Weekly and The Seattle Times and was a freelance writer for Jew-ish.com from 2007 to 2011. Schindler was raised in a Reconstructionist Jewish congregation and is now a member of Spokane's Reform congregation, Emanu-El. He is the director of Spokane Area Jewish Family Services. His interests include movies, Scrabble, and indie rock. He lives with his wife, son, and two cats in West Central Spokane.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
spot_img
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x