Paula Ackerman ( he, פאולה אקרמן; December 7, 1893 – January 12, 1989) was the first woman to perform

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 ...

nical functions in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, leading the Beth Israel congregation in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

from 1951–53 (making her the first woman to assume spiritual leadership of a U.S. mainstream Jewish congregation) and the Beth-El congregation in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

briefly in the 1960s. She led the National Committee on Religious Schools for the

National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), formerly known as the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, is the women's affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism. As the primary women's organization in the Reform Jewish movement, WRJ represents over 65,000 ...

Early life

Born as Paula Herskovitz in

, she married Rabbi William Ackerman in 1919. She led the congregation at the Temple Beth Israel in

. She had led services before, when her husband was absent or ill. She continued to lead the congregation until a replacement was found in September 1953, although she was never formally ordained. Regarding her chances of being selected for the job, Ackerman wrote to a friend, "I also know how revolutionary the idea is—therefore it seems to be a challenge that I pray I can meet. If I can just plant a seed for the Jewish woman's larger participation—if perhaps it will open a way for women students to train for congregational leadership—then my life would have some meaning." A woman would not be ordained in

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...

until 1972, when

Sally Priesand Sally Jane Priesand (born June 27, 1946) is America's first female rabbi Semikha, ordained by a rabbinical seminary, and the second formally ordained female rabbi in Jewish history, after Regina Jonas. Priesand was ordained by the Hebrew Union Co ...

was formally made a rabbi. Ackerman later performed services at her home temple, Temple Beth-El in Pensacola, from 1962 until a replacement was found nine months later.

Later life and death

In 1981, Ackerman moved from Pensacola to

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. She died in

Thomaston, Georgia Thomaston is a city in and the county seat of Upson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,170 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Thomaston, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is includ ...

on January 12, 1989, aged 95.

Legacy

In 1986 the

Union of American Hebrew Congregations The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established ...

held a ceremony at The Temple in Atlanta to recognize Ackerman's contribution to Jewish communal life. Some of Ackerman's papers are held in the

American Jewish Archives The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, founded in 1947, is committed to preserving a documentary heritage of the religious, organizational, economic, cultural, personal, social and family life of American Jewry. It has bec ...

, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The novel ''The Rabbi Is a Lady'' (1987) by Alex J. Goldman, was likely inspired by Ackerman's life story. In the novel, the widow of a conservative rabbi who is appointed to her late husband's pulpit. The work is also one of the earliest inclusions of women rabbis as literary figures to appear in American Jewish literature.Zierler, W. (2006). A dignitary in the land? Literary representations of the American rabbi. ''AJS Review'', 30(2), 255-275.

References

External links

* Shuly Rubin Schwartz
From Rebbetzin to Rabbi: The Journey of Paula Ackerman
''American Jewish Archives Journal'', 2007. * Ellen M. Umansky
Paula Ackerman 1893 – 1989
an entry in ''Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ackerman, Paula American Reform rabbis 1893 births 1989 deaths People from Pensacola, Florida People from Meridian, Mississippi Reform women rabbis 1951 in Judaism 20th-century American rabbis Women rabbis and Torah scholars

Early life

Later life and death

Legacy

See also

Further reading

References

External links