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A Pioneer in her Generation
June 2006
This June, the Board of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem appointed Rabbi Dr. Einat Ramon to serve as dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary. Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1989, Rabbi Ramon was the first Israeli woman to be ordained as a Rabbi. She is also the first woman to head a Conservative/Masorti rabbinical school.
Rabbi Ramon has been a courageous spokesperson for the Masorti Movement on crucial issues such as the conversion bill and the right to hold egalitarian prayers at the Western Wall. She serves on a part-time basis as the rabbi for the Masorti “Havurah” in north Tel Aviv. As the first Sabra to head the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, Rabbi Ramon’s appointment will advance the development of the Masorti Movement as an indigenous Israeli movement.
In addition to her struggle for recognition of the Masorti Movement in Israel and for the status of women within the movement, Rabbi Dr. Ramon is also a leading scholar and lecturer in Israel. She holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Stanford University and has published numerous articles on Modern Jewish Philosophy and Feminist Theology. Her book on the theology of the Labor Zionist Thinker, Aharon David Gordon will be published shortly.
The appointment of Rabbi Ramon is another milestone in the Masorti Movement’s commitment to promoting the equal status of women in halakhah over the past twenty years, demonstrating the myriad possibilities now open to women in the Movement.
Since she commenced working as the interim dean in June 2005, Rabbi Ramon has initiated pioneering innovations in the rabbinical school’s curriculum, such as the establishment of the first accredited program for hospital chaplaincy in Israel.
The leaders of the Conservative/Masorti Movement in Israel and around the world have expressed their enthusiastic support of Rabbi Ramon’s appointment:
“The appointment of Dr. Ramon is another major step on the way to making Masorti Judaism an Israeli religious movement. Born in Israel, ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and awarded a doctorate by Stanford University, she brings broad expertise, diverse experience and deep commitment to the Schechter Rabbinical School. She is the first woman to head a rabbinical school, the final step to fulfilling the vision of egalitarianism.”
Rabbi Prof. Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary
“I am truly delighted at the appointment of Einat Ramon as Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary. Einat did her Ph.D. under my supervision at Stanford some years ago -- and I still remember vividly the qualities of mind and character that informed her conversation and her work. Her deep learning and immense personal gifts are already well-known to a wide variety of individuals inside and beyond Schechter; I know that her new responsibilities will enable many others to encounter and appreciate her rare gifts in the years ahead. I'm glad she has agreed to take on the important tasks ahead, and personally look forward with pleasure to the opportunity to work with and learn from her once again.”
Prof. Arnold Eisen, Chancellor-Elect of the Jewish Theological Seminary
"Rabbi Ramon is exceptionally well qualified to fill this important post in the Israeli Conservative/Massorti movement. She is also a dynamic Jewish leader of extraordinary depth and integrity, that as Acting Dean, has already demonstrated her considerable talent for institution management. Einat brings a new vision to the institution that combines spiritual growth with academic excellence, and I am sure that under her guidance the SRS will reach new heights as a center dedicated to the preparation of religious leadership for the Jewish people in Israel and abroad."
Rabbi Prof. Hanan Alexander, Chair of the Executive Board of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary
“During this past year, when she was serving as Acting Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, Einat Ramon has shown that she is a thoughtful administrator with a clear vision for the Rabbinical Seminary and for the growth of Conservative/Masorti Judaism in the State of Israel. She has raised funds for and designed an excellent hospital chaplaincy program which will be launched this summer and she has recruited a stellar group of sabras into the rabbinical school with a waiting list of the overflow. We wish her much success in her pioneering role as the first woman to serve as Dean of a Conservative Rabbinical School.”
Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin, President of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
“Einat Ramon brings to this challenging job a rare combination of academic achievements and experience as a rabbi and an educator. There is no one like her in Israel. There may be no one like her in the world.”
Rabbi Peretz Rodman, President of The Rabbinical Assembly-Israel
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