Maharat

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.[1] The word Maharat (Hebrew: מהר״ת‎) is a Hebrew acronym for phrase manhiga hilkhatit rukhanit Toranit (Hebrew: מנהיגה הלכתית רוחנית תורנית‎), denoting a female "leader of Jewish law spirituality and Torah". Semikha and the title of Maharat are awarded to graduates of a 4-year-long program composed of intensive studies of Jewish law, Talmud, Torah, Jewish thought, leadership training, and pastoral counseling.

History

In 2009, Rabbi Avi Weiss and Rabbi Daniel Sperber ordained Sara Hurwitz.[2] She was the first woman to receive Open Orthodox semikha.[3] That same year, Hurwitz and Weiss founded Yeshivat Maharat as an Open Orthodox yeshiva (religious school) for women in New York, with Hurwitz as President.[4] By 2019, 26 women had graduated from Yeshivat Maharat, and gone on to serve in clergy roles in Open Orthodox synagogues, schools, hospitals, universities, and Jewish communal institutions.

In 2015, Lila Kagedan became the organization's first graduate to adopt the title Rabbi (רבי).[5][6][7][8] Other graduates of Maharat have adopted titles such as Maharat, Rabba (רבה, a neologism), and Rabbanit (רבנית, traditionally denoting a rabbi's wife).

Response from the American Orthodox rabbinate

In 2015, the Rabbinical Council of America passed a resolution stating that "RCA members with positions in Orthodox institutions may not ordain women into the Orthodox rabbinate, regardless of the title used; or hire or ratify the hiring of a woman into a rabbinic position at an Orthodox institution; or allow a title implying rabbinic ordination to be used by a teacher of Limudei Kodesh in an Orthodox institution."[9] That same year, Agudath Israel of America denounced moves to ordain women, and went even further, declaring Yeshivat Maharat, Open Orthodoxy, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and other affiliated entities to be similar to other dissident movements throughout Jewish history in having rejected basic tenets of Judaism.[10][11][12]

Avi Weiss has continuously tried to advocate for the right for female clergy to use the rabbi title. In protest of those denying this right to women, Weiss resigned from the Rabbinical Council of America.[13][14][15][16]

See also

References
  1. "The Maharat Movement". Editorial. The Forward. June 13, 2013.
  2. Breger, Sarah (November–December 2010). "Do 1 Rabba, 2 Rabbis and 1 Yeshiva = a New Denomination?". Moment Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  3. "The Maharat Movement". Editorial. The Forward. June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  4. Ginsberg, Johanna R. (February 24, 2012). "We want to place news women in synagogues". New Jersey Jewish News. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  5. Kagedan, Lila (25 November 2015). "Why Orthodox Judaism needs female rabbis". Canadian Jewish News.
  6. "First female graduate of Orthodox seminary hired by synagogue". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  7. Jewish Telegraphic Agency (January 4, 2016). "First female rabbi to lead Orthodox synagogue". Jewish Standard. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  8. Jewish Telegraphic Agency (January 12, 2016). "New Jersey Orthodox Synagogue Hires Woman Who Uses 'Rabbi' Title". Haaretz. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  9. "Rabbinical Council of America officially bans ordination and hiring of women rabbis". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 1, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  10. "Moetzes: 'Open Orthodoxy' Not a Form of Torah Judaism". Hamodia. November 3, 2015. p. 1.
  11. Sharon, Jeremy (November 3, 2015). "Breach in US Orthodox Judaism grows as haredi body rejects 'Open Orthodoxy' institutions". The Jerusalem Post.
  12. Nathan-Kazis, Josh (November 3, 2015). "Avi Weiss Defends 'Open Orthodoxy' as Agudah Rabbis Declare War". The Forward.
  13. Jewish Telegraphic Agency (June 29, 2015). "Rabbi Avi Weiss quits Rabbinical Council of America in protest". Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  14. Ettinger, Yair (June 11, 2015). "Newly minted female Orthodox rabbis to be called 'rabba'". Haaretz.
  15. Jewish Telegraphic Agency (June 29, 2015). "In protest, Avi Weiss quits Rabbinical Council of America". The Times of Israel. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  16. Jewish Telegraphic Agency (June 29, 2015). "Avi Weiss Quits Rabbinic Group in Flap Over School". Retrieved June 30, 2015.
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