Celebrating 80 years ...

The middle cover story in the Nov. 10, 1983, Jewish Western Bulletin heralded the Jewish Theological Seminary of America decision to admit women to its rabbinical school for ordination as Conservative rabbis: “The vote of 34-8, at a special meeting called by JTS chancellor Gerson Cohen, ended a long-running controversy in the movement, in which a steadily growing number of Conservative rabbis endorsed admission of women for ordination, while a substantial number of JTS faculty members remained in adamant opposition.” The vote brought the Conservative movement into step on this issue with Reform and

Reconstructionism. At the time, there were “some 60 women rabbis, most of them holding positions as assistant rabbis, others in administrative and teaching posts.” The article notes that the Reform movement “began the process more than 10 years ago by ordaining Sally Preisand as the first woman rabbi in American history.”

Locally, Rabbi Wilfred Solomon, then spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel, commented, “It may be a shock to many but many others who regard this issue as important will be encouraged.” Rabbi Howard Siegel, then of Congregation Beth Tikvah, said he didn’t expect any immediate repercussions from the vote as far as the Vancouver community was concerned, but that the long-term impact for North American Jewry would stem from tapping the creative resources of 51 percent of Conservative congregations. It was thought that the first woman would be admitted into the JTS ordination program in September 1984.

While Siegel said, “In light of history – so vital to our tradition – there is no halachic reason for denying women ordination,” there was opposition expressed from the American Orthodox community, with the reasons for disagreement centring on their belief that ordaining women did violate Jewish law.