Tamara Cohn Eskenazi is The Effie Wise Ochs Professor of Biblical Literature and History at the Reform Jewish seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. [1]
She was the first woman hired by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion as a full-time tenure track faculty member for their rabbinical school in 1990, and became the first female tenured full professor in their rabbinical school in 1995. [2]
She was also the chief editor of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary ( Andrea Weiss was associate editor), which won the 2008 Jewish Book of the Year Award from the Jewish Book Council. [3] [4]
On May 19, 2013, Eskenazi was ordained as a rabbi by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. [5]
In November of 2022, Eskenazi was elected Vice President [6] of the Society of Biblical Literature; in November 2023, Eskenazi was elevated to President of the Society.
In 2011, Eskenazi and the late Tikva Frymer-Kensky won the 2011 National Jewish Book Award in Women’s Studies for The JPS Bible Commentary: Ruth. [7] [8]
The 2022 art exhibit “Holy Sparks”, shown among other places at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, featured art about twenty-four female rabbis who were firsts in some way; [9] [10] Carol Hamoy created the artwork about Eskenazi that was in that exhibit. [11]
Tamara Cohn Eskenazi is The Effie Wise Ochs Professor of Biblical Literature and History at the Reform Jewish seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. [1]
She was the first woman hired by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion as a full-time tenure track faculty member for their rabbinical school in 1990, and became the first female tenured full professor in their rabbinical school in 1995. [2]
She was also the chief editor of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary ( Andrea Weiss was associate editor), which won the 2008 Jewish Book of the Year Award from the Jewish Book Council. [3] [4]
On May 19, 2013, Eskenazi was ordained as a rabbi by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. [5]
In November of 2022, Eskenazi was elected Vice President [6] of the Society of Biblical Literature; in November 2023, Eskenazi was elevated to President of the Society.
In 2011, Eskenazi and the late Tikva Frymer-Kensky won the 2011 National Jewish Book Award in Women’s Studies for The JPS Bible Commentary: Ruth. [7] [8]
The 2022 art exhibit “Holy Sparks”, shown among other places at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, featured art about twenty-four female rabbis who were firsts in some way; [9] [10] Carol Hamoy created the artwork about Eskenazi that was in that exhibit. [11]