Yeshivat Maharat

At a time when women’s issues have been a topic of much conversation and a catalyst for social change, Yeshivat Maharat is on the front line. As the only yeshiva outside of Israel to ordain women as Orthodox clergy, Yeshivat Maharat is empowering Orthodox female leaders by focusing on being three things: the driver of change and progress in the Jewish community, an institution of intellectual rigor and pastoral excellence, and a new and bold voice in the rabbinate, creating relevant, thoughtful, and compelling 21st-century leaders. Through its four-year rabbinical ordination program, Yeshivat Maharat has enrolled 44 women and ordained 19 who are now serving in the field as spiritual leaders, educators, chaplains, and community leaders. This past year alumnae and student interns participated in 216 life cycle events, taught 1,547 classes, and reached 6,200 people in 40 communities. The yeshiva innovates curriculum to stay relevant and increase its presence in the Jewish community. In 2017, it introduced a new, four-year leadership program in which experts in the field teach students directly, providing them with the skills needed to lead dynamic and engaged communities. Yeshivat Maharat also introduced a course about Israel and a new initiative, “Torah in the Age of Anxiety: Pastoral Encounters in the 21st Century.”

Compelling, innovative female leadership within the Jewish community is critical so the next generation of young girls can look up at their bimahs and look up to their rabbas. Female leaders are able to connect with women and girls in their community who are seeking guidance on issues of particular importance to them, including sexual abuse by clergy, inclusion of nontraditional families, fertility challenges, and pay equity. Normalizing the profession of women in the clergy and providing accessible female role models in the clergy also keeps women engaged. Yeshivat Maharat is focused on developing strong, female rabbinical leadership as the standard in a pluralistic Orthodox community where women and men can enhance the Jewish world and keep people connected to the Jewish community.