Sybil Ann Sheridan (born 27 September 1953) is a writer and British Reform rabbi. She was chair of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis UK at the

Movement for Reform Judaism Reform Judaism (formally the Movement for Reform Judaism and known as Reform Synagogues of Great Britain until 2005) is one of the two World Union for Progressive Judaism–affiliated denominations in the United Kingdom. Reform is relatively ...

from 2013 to 2015 and was Rabbi at Wimbledon and District Synagogue in south west London. As of 2020 she is part-time rabbi at Newcastle Reform Synagogue. Sybil Sheridan has edited two books and contributed to several academic publications. She is a major contributor to

interfaith dialogue Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...

, both nationally and internationally, and has a particular interest in Jewish-Muslim dialogue and especially between women. She co-chaired the Home Office International Conference for Women in Judaism and Islam. She has strong links to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

and to the educational festival

Limmud Limmud is a British-Jewish educational charity which, in the UK, produces a large annual winter festival and several other regional events throughout the year on the theme of Jewish learning. Limmud is not affiliated to any strand of Judaism, ...

. She has lectured at

Leo Baeck College Leo Baeck College is a privately funded rabbinical seminary and centre for the training of teachers in Jewish education. Based now at the Sternberg Centre, East End Road, Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet, it was founded by Werner van ...

and the Muslim College, London. She is on the International Editorial Advisory Board of ''Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues'' published by

Indiana University Press Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes 140 ...

. For eight years she was Jewish

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

at the

University of Roehampton The University of Roehampton, London, formerly Roehampton Institute of Higher Education, is a public university in the United Kingdom, situated on three major sites in Roehampton, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Roehampton was formerly an e ...

Early years

A child of

German-Jewish The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (''circa'' 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish ...

refugees, she grew up in

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...

, Lancashire, a member of

Manchester Reform Synagogue Manchester Reform Synagogue, a member of the Movement for Reform Judaism, is one of the oldest Reform Jewish communities in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1857 with congregation president Horatio Michollis and Rabbi Solomon Marcus Schiller-Szines ...

. She read

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and religious studies at

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, being one of the first two Jews to do so (the other being

Walter Rothschild Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild, (8 February 1868 – 27 August 1937) was a British banker, politician, zoologist and soldier, who was a member of the Rothschild family. As a Zionist leader, he was present ...

). She then studied at

and at the

Pardes Institute Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies () is a Jewish educational institution based in Jerusalem with programs worldwide. History Pardes was launched by Rabbi Michael Swirsky in the fall of 1972 with the support of the World Zionist Organization, ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, and was ordained as a rabbi in 1981, one of the first women in Europe in the role.

Career

After four years at Ealing Liberal Synagogue, she took extended maternity leave, during which time she wrote a book of children's stories, lectured at Leo Baeck College, and worked with the Swindon Jewish Community. In 1994 Rabbi Sheridan became Rabbi of the Thames Valley Jewish Community (now known as the Reading Liberal Jewish Community) and remained there until her appointment as Rabbi of Wimbledon and District Synagogue. She job shared with Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild in that post from 2003 until early 2014. In 2014 she became Rabbi at

West London Synagogue The West London Synagogue of British Jews, abbreviated WLS ( he, ק"ק שער ציון, ''Kahal Kadosh Sha'ar Tziyon'', "Holy Congregation Gate of Zion"), is a synagogue and congregation, affiliated to Reform Judaism, near Marble Arch in centr ...

. In 2011 she produced, with

Cantor 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 ...

Zoe Jacobs of

Finchley Reform Synagogue Finchley Reform Synagogue, a member of the Movement for Reform Judaism, is a synagogue in North Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet. Its clergy are Senior Rabbi Miriam Berger, Cantor Zöe Jacobs, Rabbi Deborah Blausten, Rabbi Howard Cooper ...

, what is thought to be the first major new collection of

synagogue music Origin of Jewish music in the Temple The earliest synagogal music was based on the same system as that used in the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, Joshua ben Hananiah, who had served in the sanctuary Levitical choir, told how th ...

published in the UK for nearly a century. ''Shirei Ha-t'fillah (Songs of Prayer)'', a compilation of sheet music and explanatory articles, was published by the Movement for Reform Judaism. As of 2020 she is part-time rabbi at Newcastle Reform Synagogue.

Social justice

Sybil Sheridan has made several visits to

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

to find out about and support the Jews in

Gondar Gondar, also spelled Gonder (Amharic: ጎንደር, ''Gonder'' or ''Gondär''; formerly , ''Gʷandar'' or ''Gʷender''), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on t ...

. She was inspired by her visit to set up a new charity, Meketa (

Amharic Amharic ( or ; (Amharic: ), ', ) is an Ethiopian Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amharas, and also serves as a lingua franca for all oth ...

for protection or support), after seeing at first hand the poverty and lack of resources available. In February 2013 she was one of a group of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders who met at

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

to urge MPs to support a radical overhaul of the financial system including

debt cancellation Debt relief or debt cancellation is the partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth, owed by individuals, corporations, or nations. From antiquity through the 19th century, it refers to domestic debts, in particu ...

for the most indebted countries, more progressive taxation and an end to harmful lending.

Personal life

She is married to

Jonathan Romain Jonathan Anidjar Romain (born 24 August 1954) is a writer and broadcaster and director of Maidenhead Synagogue in Berkshire, England. He has a PhD in the history of British Jewry. He writes for ''The Times,'' ''The Independent'', ''The Guardi ...

, Rabbi of

Maidenhead Synagogue Maidenhead Synagogue is a Reform synagogue based in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It serves Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and surrounding districts west of London in the Thames Valley area. History Maidenhead Synagogue originated during Wor ...

, and they have four adult sons.

Publications

Books

* Sybil Sheridan: "Abraham from a Jewish Perspective" in

Norman Solomon Norman Solomon (born July 7, 1951) is an American journalist, media critic, activist, and former U.S. congressional candidate. Solomon is a longtime associate of the media watch group Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR). In 1997 he founde ...

Richard Harries Richard Douglas Harries, Baron Harries of Pentregarth, (born 2 June 1936) is a retired bishop of the Church of England and former British Army officer. He was the Bishop of Oxford from 1987 to 2006. From 2008 until 2012 he was the Gresham Profes ...

Timothy Winter Abdal Hakim Murad (born: Timothy John Winter; 15 May 1960) is an English academic, theologian and Islamic scholar who is a proponent of Islamic neo-traditionalism. His work includes publications on Islamic theology, modernity, and Anglo-Muslim ...

(eds): ''Abraham's Children: Jews, Christians and Muslims in Conversation'', pp. 9–17, London and New York:

T & T Clark T&T Clark is a British publishing firm which was founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1821 and which now exists as an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing. History The firm was founded in 1821 by Thomas Clark, then aged 22 and who had a Free Church ...

, 2005. (hardback); (paperback) * Stephen Bigger: ''Creating the Old Testament: The Emergence of the Hebrew Bible'',

Basil Blackwell Sir Basil Henry Blackwell (29 May 18899 April 1984) was born in Oxford, England. He was the son of Benjamin Henry Blackwell (18491924), founder of Blackwell's bookshop in Oxford, which went on to become the Blackwell family's publishing and booksh ...

, 1989. . Sheridan contributed two chapters * Sybil Sheridan (ed.): ''Hear our voice: women in the British rabbinate'', Studies in Comparative Religion series. Paperback, 1st North American edition.

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

University of South Carolina Press The University of South Carolina Press is an academic publisher associated with the University of South Carolina. It was founded in 1944. By the early 1990s, the press had published several surveys of women's writing in the southern United States ...

, 1998. * Sybil Sheridan (ed.): ''Hear our voice: women rabbis tell their stories''. Paperback, 203 pages. London:

SCM Press SCM Press is a British publisher of theology, originally linked to the Student Christian Movement. The company was purchased by Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1997. In 2018 ''Church Times'' reported that 100 titles from SCM Press and Canterbury ...

, 1994. * Sylvia Rothschild and Sybil Sheridan (eds.): ''Taking Up the Timbrel: The Challenge of Creating Ritual for Jewish Women Today''. London:

, 2000 * Sybil Sheridan: "Human Nature and Destiny" in Seth Daniel Kunin (ed): ''Themes and Issues in Judaism'', World Religions: Themes and Issues, pp. 166–191. New York: Cassell, 2000. (hardback); (paperback)

For young people

*Sybil Sheridan, illustrated by Olivia Rayner: ''Jewish World'', Stories from the Religious World series. Paperback, 48 pages.

Silver Burdett Silver Burdett was an American primary education textbook publishing imprint owned by Pearson Education, which is a division of media conglomerate Pearson PLC. History Silver Burdett first formed as a company in 1888 when Frank W. Burdett purcha ...

, 1987. . The stories include recent historical experience in the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

Journal articles and lectures

* Sybil Sheridan: "Are We Prisoners of Our History?" in '' European Judaism'', volume 28, no. 2, Autumn 1995, pp. 68–72.

Berghahn Books Berghahn Books is a New York and Oxford-based publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creat ...

Inc. * Sybil Sheridan: "History of Women in the Rabbinate: A Communal Case of Amnesia". Lecture delivered at BET DEBORA – European Conference of Women Rabbis, Cantors, Scholars and all Spiritually Interested Jewish Women and Men, Berlin, May 1999 * Sybil Sheridan: "My first day at Leo Baeck College" in '' European Judaism'', 39, no.1, Spring 2006, pp. 69–70.

Inc. * Sybil Sheridan: "Aliza Lavie Tefillat Nashim: Jewish Women's Prayers Throughout The Ages (Book review)", ''Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues'', no.15, Spring 2008, p. 212.

Newspaper articles

* Sybil Sheridan
"What future for the Jews left in Ethiopia?"
''

The Jewish Chronicle ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'', 10 June 2009 * Sybil Sheridan
"We must not abandon the Jews left in Ethiopia"
''

'', 26 January 2014

Podcasts

*Stefanie Sinclair: ''Regina Jonas: the first female rabbi'',

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...

, 2013. Includes an interview with Sybil Sheridan

References

External links

Official blogMovement for Reform Judaism page on Rabbi Sybil Sheridan
* Einat Ramon: "Taking Up the Timbrel: The Challenge of Creating Ritual for Jewish Women Today (review)", ''Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues'', no. 7, Spring 2004, pp. 236–239
Shmuel Rosner (9 January 2015) "Rosner’s Torah-Talk: Parashat Shemot with Rabbi Sybil Sheridan"
''

Jewish Journal ''The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles'', known simply as the ''Jewish Journal'', is an independent, nonprofit community weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of greater Los Angeles, published by TRIBE Media Corp. ''The Journal'' wa ...

''. Retrieved 13 August 2017. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheridan, Sybil 1953 births Living people 20th-century English rabbis 21st-century English rabbis Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge Alumni of Leo Baeck College British Reform rabbis English Jewish writers English people of German-Jewish descent Clergy from Bolton Reform women rabbis West London Synagogue