nPostednon December 12, 2013
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Onnthis date in 1950, Paula Ackerman became the first woman to performnas a rabbi in the U.S., leading the Jewish Services for the TemplenBeth Israel in Meridian, Mississippi.
Onnthis date in 1950, Paula Ackerman became the first woman to performnas a rabbi in the U.S., leading the Jewish Services for the TemplenBeth Israel in Meridian, Mississippi.n
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nHernhusband had been the rabbi but had died suddenly a few weeks before.nBecause she had led an occasional service when her husband was awaynor ill, Ackerman probably felt pretty comfortable leading servicesnagain. But she ended up being the rabbi for her congregation fornseveral years! Finally a (male) replacement rabbi was found innSeptember of 1953.
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nAboutna decade later, Ackerman led services and did other rabbinical dutiesnfor a congregation in Florida for a year or two.
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nAndnshe was never ordained. She never went to school to be ordained.nWomen didn’t do that then!
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Ackermannonce wrote to a friend, “If I can just plant a seed for the Jewishnwoman’s larger participation—if perhaps it will open a way fornwomen students to train for congregational leadership—then my lifenwould have some meaning.”
Ackermannonce wrote to a friend, “If I can just plant a seed for the Jewishnwoman’s larger participation—if perhaps it will open a way fornwomen students to train for congregational leadership—then my lifenwould have some meaning.”n
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nWell,nshe did plant a seed, although it took a while for that seed tonsprout. It wasn’t until 1972 that a woman named Sally Priesand becamenthe first woman ordained as a rabbi in the United States. (Priesandnwas the second woman ordained anywhere in the world in all of thenhistory of Judaism.)
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nNownthere are hundreds of women rabbis—my sister among them!
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nWasnAckerman really the first?
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nAboutnhalf a century before Ackerman became “the first woman to performnas a rabbi in the U.S.,” a woman named Ray Frank became the firstnJewish woman to preach from the pulpit in the U.S. Frank did a lot ofnpublic speaking and preaching-from-the-pulpit as a guest speaker /npreacher, traveling up and down the West Coast, from California tonWashington. And this was way back in the 1890s! But Frank did not actnas a rabbi with a congregation, as Ackerman did; she did not performnweddings and funerals and do other congregational duties, as Ackermanndid.
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nAlsonon this date:
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Gingerbread House Day
Gingerbread House Day
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nAnniversarynof the first trans-Atlantic radio transmission
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nNationalnPoinsettia Day
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nAnniversarynof the opening of the first motel
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest pages on:
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nDecembern holidays
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nDecembern birthdays
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- Historicaln anniversaries in December
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nJanuaryn holidays
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nJanuaryn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in January
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