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More rabbis of color are being ordained. Why aren’t they on the bimah?

JL;DR SUMMARY The ordination of rabbis of color, including Black rabbis, is increasing within Jewish seminaries, yet their presence in pulpit leadership at established congregations remains notably sparse. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish EducationJewish LeadershipRacial DiversityReconstructionist Rabbinical CollegeAngela BuchdahlJewish InclusivitySandra LawsonRabbis Of ColorBlack RabbisSynagogue Roles

Places mentioned

Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
"Tiferet Berenbaum is the rabbi of congregational learning and programming at Temple Beth Zion, an independent Jewish congregation in Brookline, Massachusetts."
New York, United States
"she served as rabbi of West End Synagogue in Manhattan"
Curaçao
"then as the spiritual leader of Mikv Israel-Emanuel in the Caribbean island country of Curaao"
Chicago, Illinois, United States
"other than Rabbi Capers Funnye, who leads the 200-member largely Black Beth Shalom Bnai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago"
Greenville, North Carolina, United States
"served as spiritual leader at the predominantly white Congregation Bayt Shalom in Greenville, North Carolina"
Wisconsin, United States
"held pulpit positions in Milwaukee, Wisconsin"
Mt. Holly, New Jersey, United States
"held pulpit positions in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Mt. Holly, New Jersey"
South Korea
"Born in Korea to a Jewish American father and a Korean Buddhist mother"
Scarsdale, New York, United States
"after previously serving as associate rabbi/cantor at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, New York."

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Retrieved 2025-06-12 05:31:25 UTC
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