Orthodox Judaism is making space for women’s religious leadership – even without traditional ordination

By: Michal Raucher, Rutgers University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 19, 2025

Words: 1,203

Last Updated: 5 days, 18 hours ago

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By Michal Raucher, Rutgers University

When people picture a rabbi, they may imagine a man standing in front of a congregation in a synagogue. But “rabbi” means much more than that. For example, a rabbi could be a teacher, a nonprofit executive for a Jewish organization or a scholar of Jewish law – and, increasingly, some of those roles are held by Orthodox women.

For decades, liberal denominations have permitted women to be ordained. …

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