2008navigator


2006 Emmy® Award for Religious Programming





click to view opeing sequence


From events leading up to 1972, when
the Reform Movement ordained the first woman, to today, when a bat mitzvah girl can realize her dream of becoming a rabbi, women rabbis have gradually begun reshaping the contours of Judaism, providing fresh perspectives on Jewish tradition and new models of gendered behavior in Jewish practice. This program explores the rich history behind the ordination of women rabbis, the present situation of women as religious leaders, and the voices of future rabbis
growing up with a new model.


click to view women rabbi sequence




The first three women ordained are interviewed and their struggles and accomplishments are explored.

Rabbi Sally Priesand
ordained 1972
Reform Movement

Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
ordained 1974
Reconstructionist Movement

Rabbi Amy Eilberg
ordained 1985
Conservative Movement