Sally Priesand

Sally Priesand is a trailblazing figure in American Judaism, having made history as the first female rabbi to be ordained by a rabbinical seminary in the United States. Born in 1946, she pursued her religious studies at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, culminating in her ordination on June 3, 1972, at the Plum Street Temple in Cincinnati. This milestone marked a significant moment in Jewish history, as Priesand became the second formally ordained female rabbi, following in the footsteps of Regina Jonas.

Priesand's career as a rabbi spanned several decades, during which she served in various capacities. Initially, she worked as an assistant and later associate rabbi at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City. In 1981, she took on the leadership role at Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, a position she held until her retirement in 2006. Her contributions to Judaism have been recognized and featured in several books, including "Rabbis: The Many Faces of Judaism" and "Fifty Jewish Women who Changed the World", solidifying her place as a pioneering figure in the history of Jewish women in the rabbinate.