Einat Ramon

Einat Ramon was the first Israeli-born woman to be ordained as a rabbi. Following her ordination by JTS in 1989, she pursued her doctoral degree at Stanford University, at the same time serving as the interim rabbi at Berkeley Hillel and then as the “circuit” rabbi of congregation Har-Shalom of Missoula, Montana. Since her return to Israel in 1994, she has been teaching at various Israeli academic institutions (including the Hebrew University and the Kibbutz Teachers’ Seminary and others) and supervising a Masorti (Conservative) congregation in north Tel Aviv. In 1996–1997 (during the peak of the battle against the Conversion Bill) she was the spokesperson of the Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel. Ramon is at present the acting dean of the Schechter Rabbinical School. She also teaches modern Jewish thought and literature and Jewish feminism at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies. Rabbi Ramon has written and published numerous articles on modern Jewish thought, Jewish feminism and Zionist intellectual history. She has completed a book (forthcoming) on the theology of the Labor Zionist thinker, Aharon David Gordon.

Articles by this author

Feminist Jewish Ritual: An International Perspective

Beginning with the first bat mitzvah, Jewish women began adapting traditional ceremonies to focus on women and their experiences. Other rituals have been created for parts of the female life cycle such as menstruation or childbirth. However, there continues to be a lack of recognition of women in recently created holidays that are based on nationalist and Zionist beliefs.

Matriarchs: A Liturgical and Theological Category

Among egalitarian religious congregations throughout the world, the most popular addition to the traditional liturgy is the mention of the Matriarchs in birkat avot (the blessing of the ancestors), the opening blessing of the Amidah.

Ada Maimon (Fishman)

One of the “spiritual mothers” of Jewish feminism in Israel, Ada Maimon founded the women's labor organization, Mo'ezet Ha-Po'a lot, and served in the first Knesset. In each of her many positions, she viewed her role as being a religious and spiritual one.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Einat Ramon." (Viewed on April 24, 2024) <http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/author/ramon-einat>.