On June 6th, Alysa Stanton will become the first African-American woman to be ordained as a rabbi and will lead a congregation in North Carolina. Stanton, a convert to Judaism, is a mother to an adopted 14 year old daughter and a trained psychotherapist who specializes in trauma and grief.
Since ordaining its first female rabbi in 1972, Hebrew Union College (HUC) has ordained 582 women rabbis. Reconstructionist Judaism ordained its first female rabbi in 1974, and the Conservative movement began ordaining women as rabbis in 1985. Since then, a number of Orthodox women have also received Orthodox smicha.
The ordination of the first female African-American rabbi should spark further discussions about the ordination of women rabbis within a Messianic Jewish context. The Messianic Jewish movement remains one of the only branches of Judaism that still does not officially ordain woman as rabbis. But this is not for a lack of previous discussions and debate.
A number of debates, including a recent one hosted at Toward Blog, highlight the growing call for Messianic Judaism to move forward in this matter. Many of us younger Messianic Jews do not even understand what is holding us up from moving forward on this issue, and are continually growing restless with all the foot dragging. In the meantime, many gifted and talented young women are voting with their feet and leaving our movement for spiritual communities in which their talents are valued. In a day and age when women can be and do anything, it seems absurd that what they CANNOT be is a Messianic rabbi.
I seem to have the distinction of being the first to post on your blog.
About your post. This tells me that WE as a movement desperately need more young ethnically Jewish MEN to step up to the leadership plate. If not, we'll have no one to blame but ourselves - our movement will become even more irrelevant as our own top echelons become feminized, gentilized, liberalized and paralyzed by political correctness (and who knows what other "ized").
This also tells me that liberal American "Judaism" is in real serious trouble and will probably self-implode theologically and demographically in not too distant future (since it's mostly assimilationist, secular, and its definition of Jewishness as well as its conversion standards are very loose).
BTW, the man-hating feminists are eating this story up big time: radicalprofeminist.blogspot.com/2009/03/looking-for-rabbi-dont-forget-to-seek.html
Thanks for the comment, Gene.
You're making an assumption here that the standards for this woman's conversion were loose.
For the sake of argument, what if she had undergone an Orthodox conversion before seeking a Reform pulpit?
I've met more than a handful of Conservative and Orthodox rabbis who are non-white converts. And they're not all radical feminists, either. ;)
what i'm really asking is, what's your issue here? that she's a convert? that she's black? that she's a woman? that she's reform? or all of the above?
Hi Monique...
Instead of us rejoicing and be all excited when a non-Jew or a woman becomes a rabbi, we should be lamenting the fact the our Jewish men are being marginalized from and disenchanted with Judaism, and we should pleading before G-d on our knees to reverse this trend and raise up worthy MEN to lead Israel, Judaism and the Jewish people.
I have not heard any concern for men as leaders expressed by anyone here - egalitarianism is all the rage now. But SOME in the mainstream Jewish community are taking notice (although I suspect it may be too late for liberal Judaism to do anything about it). I'm also very much concerned that this trend is about to affect Messianic Judaism before long (see article below):
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/06/22/where_have_all_the_men_gone/
Is Messianic Judaism doing anything about this trend or are we going to stand idly by and just watch it happen to us as well?
The issue of female ordination if one of a whole long list of issues that the broad Messianic community has swept under the rug for far too long. Yet, Messianic congregations and organizations (even if in the far future) who ordain qualified females--who possess the same skills and credentials as the current male leaders should *already* have--are more likely to follow in the footsteps of evangelical Christians who are egalitiarian.
I encourage anyone who is skeptical of all this to read through some of the free literature of an organization like Christians for Biblical Equality (cbeinternational.org). We all need to be familiar with the various sides of the debate, the relevant passages and their varied interpretations, before we then go out and stake our turf.
Gene-
I am having a hard time buying into your arguement that somehow "Jewish men are being marginalized." In fact, I am arguing the opposite. That we men, especially Messianic Jewish men, continue to marginalize women in our Movement. We are far from being overwhelmed and overrun by women.
Second, the position you are arguing for is the exact position of why so many young educated Jews do not take MJ very seriously, and are not found in large numbers within our ranks.
My wife an I (among others) seek to build a vibrant Messiah centered Judaism that is attractive to, and spiritually compelling to our Jewish world.
I just returned from a Young Leaders retreat sponsored mainly by the UMJC (you can read about it on Rabbi Russ's blog at umjc.net), that brought together young leaders from the UMJC, MJAA, and Tikkun. Guess how many of us there were? 9!
Although yes there may be another few out there who were not there who are leading congregations, or desire to becoome congregational leaders, but that number is still reflective of a problem that is Movement wide. The modern Messianic movement has failed in its ability to reach a) Jews in general, and b) the next generation.
Although some congregations are doing better in these ragards then others, it is still a problem and will remain a problem until we are willing to admit, "Huh, maybe I am not always right and maybe we should rethink some of our positions."
For if MJ does not - how effective will we really be?
To clarify something my wife posted, Alysa Stanton did undergo an orthodox conversion in 1987. (See page 2 of the related article linked on the blog).
Gene,
With all seriousness, I'd like to know how you came to the conclusion that Jewish men are disenchanted with Judaism. Maybe you're seeing social phenomena in Florida that we're sheltered from in SoCal.
From our perspective it's people under 40 (both men AND women) who are disenchanted. Their absence has a lot to with intergenerational clashes between aging hippies and post-post-modern hipsters. MJudaism's outdated gender politics are part of that clash.
We've definitely hashed it out (at Toward blog) on your theological objections, and have a halfway decent grasp of your objections on that front.
However, we're having a hard time understanding on a sociological level what's so threatening about women's ordination.
Joshua and Monique...
We have failed to reach Jews because we are viewed as a non-Jewish (mostly evangelical or pentacostal charismatic) and often as a plain weird movement. We have very few Jews in our congregations. Our services are raping Jewish liturgy and traditions. Our leadership is educated in Christian institutions and many are anti-Judaic and anti-traditional. Many of our "rabbis" are Gentiles. Most of our membership (Jew or Gentile) is fresh from churches. We have no REAL physical institutions of higher Messianic Jewish learning. I can count our theologians on my two hands (and still have a few fingers left).
This is to say that we are divided in many many more and in MUCH more important ways than simply not allowing "women rabbis". I think that your women rabbis issue is a red herring - our TRUE problems have nothing to do with female empowerment or suppression of "talented women". Nothing - it's a diversion.
Liberal Judaism is losing MEN, not women - please read the Boston Globe article I mentioned above. I quote from it:
"Contemporary liberal American Judaism, although supposedly egalitarian, is visibly and substantially feminized." (Sylvia Barack Fishman, a professor of contemporary Jewish life at Brandeis University and the coauthor of a study on "Gender Imbalance in American Jewish Life")
Do you disagree with this professor? Perhaps you've done more research and more studies on this issue - let us know.
It seems that Jewish men and men in general do not want to be lead by women, period. Perhaps if we regained strong Jewish male leadership this trend would be reversed. But it's probably coming to the Messianic Judaism in the next generation and you want to lead the way.
Shalom. I probably got your blood boiling again - but I come in peace.
More from the study I mentioned above:
"When it comes to gender equality or gender balance, contemporary American Jewish life is caught between a rock and a hard place,” said co-author Daniel Parmer, a Brandeis graduate student. "Boys and men as a group ARE NOT ATTRACTED to feminized Jewish activities and environments."
http://www.brandeis.edu/now/2008/june/hbigenderstudy.html
could you repost the boston.com link? it didn't work for me.
Shalom Gene,
In regard to your stated issues within MJ I totally agree. I am sure we both have considered tossing in the towel on a number of occasions - not on Yeshua - but the hokey banners, glittery skirts, and "rabbis" who cannot read Hebrew.
You can read my position on much of those issues as well.
However, on this particular issue, my position in regard to women as rabbis is a separate issue from the "feminization of Judaism." I would agree that too is a shift in the wrong direction.
I agree with the article you quoted that the feminization of Judaism has become an issue within segments of the Jewish Communty; particularly in parts of the Reform, Jewish Renewal, and Reconstructionist Movements.
However, as one very familiar with traditional, yet progressive congregations within Conservative, Conservadox, and modern Orthodox Movements, there indeed can be a very healthy balance, and in fact, an overwhelming boost to Jewish life as a result.
I sense that you assume my positions are much more radical then they really are. My argument is simply that MJ currently has the opposite problem. In learning from the mistakes of others in regard to hyper-feminization, we also cannot let fear control us.
Monique... I have created a short URL that will take you to that Boston Globe article:
http://alturl.com/mdam
Joshua, I am glad that you are after a healthy balance. I am too. It's just that I believe that achieving it need not involve having female rabbis or female led congregations.
If we chase after liberal Judaism's "progress", we may reap its fruits as well. I am not afraid, but I am concerned about the direction we are heading. As in the story of Esther, G-d will achieve his plans for Israel whether we chose to participate in them or not. I don't want G-d to choose someone else and reject our Messianic Jewish "house".
Shalom to you both.
Will either of you take part in the UMJC conference in Miami this summer?
Hi Gene-
In regard to your last comment, he still used Esther (emphasis on gender). LOL... ;) I just couldn't resist.
As far as the conference, we were planning on going. But at the moment it is up in the air due to finances. G-d willing, we'll see you there!
Great article. I find it ironic that MJ congregations reflect the conservative and white evangelical movement as a whole. Most MJ people I have met, and I know quite a few, are Republican and oriented toward a male leadership. If MJ were truly a Jewish movement, wouldn't it reflect the demographics of the Reform and Conservative movements as a whole? Does MJ really expect Jews to be attracted to a conservative evangelical movement with Jewish window dressing which does not reflect the diversity in their own movement?
"Most MJ people I have met, and I know quite a few, are Republican and oriented toward a male leadership."
That's why some people refer to Messianic Jews as "completed Jews":)
partisan politics don't belong on the bimah. EVER.
i'm just sayin' ...
"...partisan politics don't belong on the bimah. EVER...."
Totally agree. I can't stand when someone starts talking about politics at the 'gogue, or tells me I need to sign this or that petition, or starts unloading on this or that politician or policy. Conservative or liberal, just shut up already.
Thankfully, our rabbi is apolitical to a fault.
Dear "Anonymous,"
Thank you for your post. It is true that unfortunately the way the MJ Movement has evolved is more toward, as you say, a "conservative and white evangelical" influence.
In regard to your last question of whether or not "MJ [can] really expect Jews to be attracted to a conservative evangelical movement with Jewish window dressing which does not reflect the diversity in their own movement?" To that I agree, and that is why there are a number of us calling for a complete overhaul within MJ. My vision and desire is to see a "messianic"/messianist form of Judaism - similar to other messianic movements within Judaism. We can always limit the disagreement simply to WHO is mashiach as long as we are clearly within the boundaries of Judaism.
But it must be similar to the concept of "Torah Lishma - Torah for its own sake." We need to be Jews because we are Jews. Not because we only have an agenda to somehow attract other Jews.
Sorry about the length of the previous post... y'all hit several of my "hot buttons".
Editor's note: REPOST of Adam J. Bernay's prior post, edited for length. See below:
"I just want to point out to the anonymous poster that while most Jews in America are liberal politically, most ORTHODOX Jews are VERY conservative politically. In Judaism, the politics tends to follow the theology & practice. And, in fact, in Messianic Judaism, I find the same to be true, by and large: the more Orthodox the person is in their view on Torah Observance, the more conservative they are politically, with a few exceptions. The objection that if you're a conservative Republican you're somehow LESS Jewish must be coming from a non-Orthodox. And such an objection makes me laugh. Although I'm no longer a Republican (I'm "Decline to State" in California's bizarre terminology -- "independent" anywhere else), my political views (as opposed to my moral views) are on the libertarian end of conservatism.
"Now, as for the issue with female rabbis, I gotta say I disagree. I see no direct violations of Scripture in it. Is it the PREFERRED situation? No. One of my mentors put it this way: God prefers to call men. If no man will stand, God will call women. If no woman will stand, God will call children. If no child will stand, God will cause rocks to cry out and donkeys to speak.
"Only if our goal is acceptance and "credibility" in the Jewish community is there an issue. Well, we could be the frumest of the frum, without a "Goy" in the place, with rabbis trained to the standards of the JTS... and we will still not be accepted or credible to the Jewish community at large, for one reason: Yeshua. Period. Until He sets foot on the Mount of Olives, they will not accept us as a community and most of their leaders will hate us. I've accepted that. (Individuals are another matter. Plenty of mainstream Jewish individuals accept us, even if they don't believe in Yeshua, but as a community it ain't gonna happen.)
"That being said, we are DEFINITELY in need of some higher standards and stricter definitions in our leadership education in the Messianic community. Most of our "yeshivot" hand out supposed "degrees" that are not even close to the standards required. MAYBE they're suitable for the equivalent of a 2-year Bible School certification, but we need to develop not just yeshivot that can hand out respectable semicha, but also one or two actual SEMINARIES that can give ACTUAL, LEGITIMATE graduate degrees, not that all Messianic rabbis or ministers need a graduate degree. We need the "Bible School"-type yeshivot to provide basic training coursework that can equip congregational leaders that are NOT rabbis and will NOT be given that title."
Adam, I couldn't disagree with you more on the "preferences" of G-d. But if that's the last straw that you're holding on to, then I'd say we're making progress.
Dear Adam-
I would also disagree with your assumption of "G-d's preferences." Of all the examples of women leaders within Scripture, there is not one example supporting your assumption.
In response to your comments about the training of future leaders, the UMJC and MJTI have really raised the bar in this matter. MJ Rabbis ordained within these contexts will recieve a graduate degree and extensive rabbinical preparation in addition to smicha.