Early life
Culpeper converted fromAIDS
Culpeper was working as a nurse in San Francisco General Hospital when she accidentally contracted HIV due to a needle stick, and was diagnosed with HIV in 1995. After revealing her diagnosis, her congregation rallied around her, insisting she continue to work, and wearing red AIDS awareness ribbons, but in 1997 she gave up her position and moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where she could get "cutting edge" treatment at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's AIDS research clinic. Culpeper spoke about AIDS to Jewish communities throughout America. However, she did not want to be known as "the AIDS rabbi". She died of AIDS in 2005.Achievements
Culpeper was the first full-time female rabbi in Alabama and the first Conservative female rabbi in Alabama. She also became the first female rabbi to lead religious services in Poland when she conducted High Holy Day services at Beit Warszawa in 2000. Culpeper also contributed a chapter to the anthology ''The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions'' (2000).Cynthia A. Culpeper. “Positive Pillars.” In ''The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions''. Edited by Elyse Goldstein, pages 63–69. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000. .See also
* Timeline of women rabbisReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culpeper, Cynthia American Conservative rabbis Conservative women rabbis Converts to Judaism from Roman Catholicism 2005 deaths 1962 births AIDS-related deaths in Alabama 20th-century American rabbis 21st-century American Jews