Denise Eger, the first openly gay president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and known for her trailblazing activism, was born on March 14, 1960. Eger’s rabbinical career spanned several decades and she notably served California’s queer Jewish community at the height of the AIDS crisis. 

JWA chats with Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder about what it was like to officiate Meredith Marks' bat mitzvah onThe Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

The rabbi-to-be reflects on the divine lessons of motherhood and her path to the rabbinate. 

JWA chats with Orthodox rabbi Dov Linzer and Reform journalist Abigail Pogrebin about their new book,It Takes Two to Torah. 

Delphine Horvilleur is one of five women rabbis in France (as of 2024) and a leader of the Liberal Jewish Movement of France (MJLF, as the Reform movement is known in France).  

Analía Bortz is the first Latin American woman ordained as a Conservative rabbi. Her approach to spirituality and religion combines with her medical training. As a doctor specializing in bioethics, she has also helped women and couples with fertility issues. 

Nambi is the first Ugandan woman to be officially ordained as a rabbi .

JWA chats with rabbi and disability justice advocate Lauren Tuchman.

Until fatphobia is erased from our Jewish lives, people with bodies like mine will never be able to truly come home.

Ronda Spinak interviewed Sharon Anisfeld on March 24, 2014, in Newton, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Project. Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld shares her experiences and perspectives as a religious leader, discussing topics such as ethics policies, the Book of Esther, the evolving role of rabbis in contemporary society, and the importance of adaptability, empathy, and understanding of religious traditions in her leadership role.

Ronda Spinak interviewed Rabbi Suzanne Offit on March 26, 2014, in Newton, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Project. Suzanne began her rabbinical studies around the age of forty and shares her journey of embracing her Jewish identity, discusses her work in end-of-life care, including a special encounter with Charlotte Bloomberg and the subsequent grant to Hebrew College, and reflects on the transformation of her marriage and spiritual practices throughout her rabbinical education.

Ronda Spinak interviewed Shayna Rhodes on March 17, 2014, in Newton, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Project. Shayna reflects on her Orthodox upbringing, her frustration with limited questioning in her early education, her feminist awakening during her time at Barnard College, and her journey towards becoming a rabbi, emphasizing the support of her family, her evolving religious practices, and her mission to empower women's voices in Talmud scholarship.

Lynne Himelstein interviewed Rabbi Elyse Winick on March 23, 2014, Newton, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Elyse's journey from her early Jewish upbringing, college experiences, and mentorship led her to become a rabbi, where she now serves as the Jewish chaplain at Brandeis University and reflects on the role of women rabbis in the present and past, while also discussing her personal connection to Judaism.

Ronda Spinak interviewed Rabbi Michele Lenke on April 1, 2014 in Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Lenke reflects on her journey from her Jewish upbringing and transformative experiences to overcoming obstacles as a female rabbi and finding fulfillment in her work, particularly in helping young Jews with B'nai Mitzvot and officiating same-sex weddings.

From New York to Israel, Rabbi Rachel Cowan had a hand in developing many aspects of Jewish life during the second half of the twentieth century. She was a pioneer in pushing for inclusivity in Jewish spaces and went to great efforts to make Judaism more accessible to those unfamiliar to it.

JWA talks to author Sara Lippmann about suburbia as an irresistible setting for fiction, radical retellings of the Torah, and more. 

JWA chats with poet and rabbi Mónica Gomery about her newest poetry collection,Might Kindred. 

Lynne Himelstein interviewed Rabbi Sara Meirowitz on April 2, 2014, in Brookline, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Meirowitz discusses her journey to becoming a rabbi, influenced by her father, experiences at Yale University's Hillel, and time in Jerusalem while discussing her perspectives on Modern Orthodoxy and Israel.

Rashard Barrentine interviewed Rabbi Jane Kanarek on March 13, 2014 in Brookline, Massachusetts, as part of the Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Kanarek talks about rediscovering Judaism, becoming a rabbi and scholar, and advocating for women's voices in texts while finding fulfillment in her family life and encouraging aspiring female rabbis to find their own Jewish voice and create inclusive communities.

Lynne Himelstein interviewed Rabbi Margie Klein Ronkin on February 24, 2014, in Brighton, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Klein Ronkin reflects on her Jewish upbringing, involvement in social justice activism, journey to becoming a rabbi, founding Moishe Kavod House, and her efforts to address sexual assault and domestic violence in the Jewish community, all while reflecting on her understanding of God.

Lynne Himelstein interviewed Rabbi Judi Ehrlich on March 5, 2014, in Newton, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Ehrlich shares her journey from Orthodox Judaism in South Africa to becoming a rabbi in America, including her religious upbringing, education in Israel, work as a matchmaker, career as a rabbi, challenges in her family, and her role as a chaplain, providing support to patients and families dealing with loss.

Lynne Himelstein interviewed Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox on March 31, 2014, in Newtonville, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Koller-Fox shares her Jewish upbringing, aspirations to become a rabbi, educational journey, involvement in founding CAJE, and reflections on the evolving rabbinate, personal challenges, and the role of Judaism in navigating crises.

Lynne Himelstein interviewed Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz on February 25, 2014, in Sommerville, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Jacobowitz reflects on her spiritual path in Jewish mysticism and becoming a rabbi, aiming to create an inclusive environment at Temple B’nai B’rith, and navigating the challenges of being a woman rabbi in Israel, sharing her complex feelings towards her homeland.

Ronda Spinak interviewed Rabbi Barbara Penzner on February 25, 2014, in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, as part of the Boston Women Rabbis Oral History Project. Rabbi Penzner reflects on her Jewish upbringing, calling to become a rabbi, studies at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, exploration of the mikvah ritual, working with interfaith couples, and balancing motherhood and her career.