Elisa Klapheck (born 10 December 1962) is the first female

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

to serve in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, although she was born in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. She was also one of the organizers of Bet Debora Berlin, a conference of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an women rabbis,

cantors A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...

s, and rabbinically-educated Jews in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

in 1999. She was ordained in 2004 by the Aleph Rabbinic Program, and in 2005 she became the rabbi of "

Beit Ha'Chidush Beit Ha'Chidush (meaning ''House of Renewal'' in Hebrew) (BHC) is a Jewish congregation founded in 1995 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Jews, many of which were expats, with secular and religious backgrounds who wanted to create ...

" (House of Renewal) in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

. In 2009 she returned to Germany and has since been the rabbi of the "Egalitarian Minyan" in the Jewish Community of

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

. She is a member of the General Conference of Rabbis of Germany (ARK) and an associate member of the Rabbinic Board of " Liberal Judaism" in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Klapheck is also the author of ''Fraulein Rabbiner Jonas: The Story of the First Woman Rabbi'', as well as ''How I Became a Rabbi, Jewish Challenges Here and Now.'' She was profiled in the book ''Turning the Kaleidoscope: Perspectives on European Jewry.'' There is also an entry on her in ''Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia.'' In 2010, she was featured in the documentary
''Kol Ishah: The Rabbi is a Woman''
directed by Hannah Heer.

Publications

* ''Fräulein Rabbiner Jonas : the story of the first woman rabbi'', 2004 * ''Margarete Susman und ihr jüdischer Beitrag zur politischen Philosophie'', 2013 * ''Regina Jonas : die weltweit erste Rabbinerin'', 2003 * ''Wie ich Rabbinerin wurde'', 2012 * ''So bin ich Rabbinerin geworden jüdische Herausforderungen hier und jetzt'', 2005 * ''Säkulares Judentum aus religiöser Quelle'', 2015

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klapheck, Elisa 1962 births Living people Reform women rabbis 21st-century German rabbis German Reform rabbis

Publications

See also

References