Valerie Stessin

Valerie Stessin is the first woman to be ordained as a Conservative rabbi in Israel, as well as the first woman to be ordained by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies; she was ordained in 1993.^[1]^[2]

She was born in France, and was involved with the Bnei Akiva youth movement there, but moved to Israel at age 17.^[3]^[4] In 2009 she and Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz founded Kashouvot, an organization in Jerusalem whose mission is to "introduce chaplaincy (also referred to as pastoral care or spiritual support) into Israel, and to provide quality, professional spiritual support in the healthcare and social services."^[5]^[6]

References

^ "New Jewish Feminism". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
^ "Hudson Jewish Community Forum". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
^ "Founders « Kashouvot". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
^ "Israeli Conservative Movement Will Begin to Ordain Women As Rabbis". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
^ "Founders « Kashouvot". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
^ "Mission « Kashouvot". Retrieved 29 October 2014.

Women rabbis and Torah scholars

Timeline of women rabbis

Pre-modern
figures

Bible and Talmud	Deborah (1107–1067 BCE) Bruriah (2nd century)
Medieval and early modern era	Rashi's daughters (11th–12th century) Bat ha-Levi (12th century) Paula Dei Mansi (13th century) Miriam Shapira-Luria (14th century) Fioretta of Modena (1522–1580) Bayla Falk (16th century) Eva Bacharach (1580–1651) Asenath Barzani (1590–1670) Frehat Bat Avraham (d. 1756) Maiden of Ludmir (1805–1888)

Modern figures

Ray Frank (1861–1948)
Lily Montagu (1873–1963)
Regina Jonas (1902–1944)
Tehilla Lichtenstein (1893–1973)
Paula Ackerman (1893–1989)
Martha Neumark (1904–1981)
Avis Clamitz (1908-1991)
Helen Levinthal (1910–1989)
Sally Priesand (b. 1946)
Mimi Feigelson (b. 1963)

First ordination by denomination	Regina Jonas (Reform, 1935) Sandy Sasso (Reconstructionist, 1974) Lynn Gottlieb (Renewal, 1981) Amy Eilberg (Conservative, 1985) Tamara Kolton (Humanistic, 1999) Sara Hurwitz (Orthodox, 2009)