Alysa Stanton | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | August 2, 1963 Cleveland, Ohio |
Education | Colorado State University; Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion |
Occupation | Rabbi |
Alysa Stanton (born August 2, 1963) is an American Reform rabbi, and the first African American female rabbi. [1] [2] Ordained on June 6, 2009, [1] [2] in August 2009 she began work as a rabbi at Congregation Bayt Shalom, a small majority-white synagogue in Greenville, North Carolina, making her the first African American rabbi to lead a majority-white congregation. [3] Stanton converted to Judaism at age 24 and first studied and worked as a psychotherapist.
Stanton was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to Denver, Colorado, with her family at the age of 11. [4] [5] Although raised in the Church of God in Christ, when she was 24 Stanton converted to Judaism after considering several Eastern religions. [5] [6] [7] [8] She has said she was "born Jewish—just not to a Jewish womb". [9] She earned her BA in psychology in 1988, an MA in education in 1992, from Colorado State University.
In her first career, Stanton was a psychotherapist. [8] She specialized in grief counseling, and was asked to speak to people in Columbine after the 1999 high school massacre. [10] Before preparing for the rabbinate, she sought to become a cantor, but heard that Jewish leadership positions were not available to women. [11] When she finally saw a female cantor, she decided to pursue the studies necessary to become a rabbi. [11]
Stanton graduated from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, a Reform Jewish seminary. [6] She has said that she is not concerned with being the first Black woman to become a rabbi, "I try not to focus on being the first. I focus on being the best—the best human being, the best rabbi I can be." [12] "If I were the 50,000th, I'd still be doing what I do.... Me being first was just the luck of the draw." [13]
In August 2009, Stanton became the rabbi of Congregation Bayt Shalom, a small majority-white synagogue in Greenville, North Carolina, [5] making her the first African American rabbi to lead a majority-white congregation. [3] The congregation's president said that the fact that Stanton is African-American and a woman had nothing to do with the decision to hire her: "I'm very proud of my community. [Stanton's being a woman or being Black] never came up in conversation. Obviously, we all know that's unusual but when she got on the pulpit during her visit, it was totally comfortable." [14] In 2011, the congregation decided not to renew her contract, which expired July 31, 2011. [15]
Alysa Stanton | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | August 2, 1963 Cleveland, Ohio |
Education | Colorado State University; Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion |
Occupation | Rabbi |
Alysa Stanton (born August 2, 1963) is an American Reform rabbi, and the first African American female rabbi. [1] [2] Ordained on June 6, 2009, [1] [2] in August 2009 she began work as a rabbi at Congregation Bayt Shalom, a small majority-white synagogue in Greenville, North Carolina, making her the first African American rabbi to lead a majority-white congregation. [3] Stanton converted to Judaism at age 24 and first studied and worked as a psychotherapist.
Stanton was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to Denver, Colorado, with her family at the age of 11. [4] [5] Although raised in the Church of God in Christ, when she was 24 Stanton converted to Judaism after considering several Eastern religions. [5] [6] [7] [8] She has said she was "born Jewish—just not to a Jewish womb". [9] She earned her BA in psychology in 1988, an MA in education in 1992, from Colorado State University.
In her first career, Stanton was a psychotherapist. [8] She specialized in grief counseling, and was asked to speak to people in Columbine after the 1999 high school massacre. [10] Before preparing for the rabbinate, she sought to become a cantor, but heard that Jewish leadership positions were not available to women. [11] When she finally saw a female cantor, she decided to pursue the studies necessary to become a rabbi. [11]
Stanton graduated from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, a Reform Jewish seminary. [6] She has said that she is not concerned with being the first Black woman to become a rabbi, "I try not to focus on being the first. I focus on being the best—the best human being, the best rabbi I can be." [12] "If I were the 50,000th, I'd still be doing what I do.... Me being first was just the luck of the draw." [13]
In August 2009, Stanton became the rabbi of Congregation Bayt Shalom, a small majority-white synagogue in Greenville, North Carolina, [5] making her the first African American rabbi to lead a majority-white congregation. [3] The congregation's president said that the fact that Stanton is African-American and a woman had nothing to do with the decision to hire her: "I'm very proud of my community. [Stanton's being a woman or being Black] never came up in conversation. Obviously, we all know that's unusual but when she got on the pulpit during her visit, it was totally comfortable." [14] In 2011, the congregation decided not to renew her contract, which expired July 31, 2011. [15]