THE GOD SQUAD

Rabbi Amy Brodsky

Rabbi Amy Brodsky of
, Temple Emanu-El

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When she joined Temple Emanu-El in
Oak Park four years ago, congregants
were charmed. "Look at the cute little reb-
betzin," they'd say.
"I had to explain to people that a reb-
betzin is a rabbi's wife and I'm not that.
I'm an ordained rabbi."
If Rabbi Brodsky has had to fight mis-
conceptions about her role in the syna-
gogue, she's also resisted being made a

kind of feminist emblem. As a matter o f many people, when they heard, were not
principle, she has turned down dozens o f surprised. I think some people knew I was
opportunities to speak about women i n going to do this before I knew I was going
Judaism, women rabbis, Jewish feminism to do this," she laughs.
and other configurations of the topic.
She joined Temple Emanu-El after her
"I'm just like any other woman and any ordination, becoming the first full-time
other rabbi. I am, by a biological twist o f female pulpit rabbi in the city. The con-
fate, a female, and I don't even thin k gregation was "very accepting," although
about it," she says.
she says that "people didn't know what to
At 30, Rabbi Brodsky is self-assure d call me, what to make of me."
but not encumbered by of -
And a "certain segment" of the congre-
fectation or haughtines s gation still perceives her as a very young
about her profession. Sh e person in an older person's job. Then
sees it as a job that allow s again, students in the Hebrew school
her to pursue the thing s think 30 is really old, she says.
she loves best — teaching
Some of her younger students are sur-
adults, in particular.
prised that she lives a normal life. For ex-
"Being a rabbi combines ample, they were "astonished to learn"
a lot of things I enjoy. I she tapes episodes of the TV show "Mur-
could've been a Jewish phy Brown."
studies professor at a col-
But Jessica Jacobs, the president
lege, but that would only of Temple Emanu-El's youth group, be-
give me a fragment of what lieves Rabbi Brodsky's youthfulness helps
a rabbi is. I like the vari- her to relate better to high-school stu-
ety," she says.
dents.
One of the reasons Rab-
"She's more open to our ideas about the
bi Brodsky does not have youth group because she's younger. She
an inflated notion of her- understands where we're coming from a
self is her early contact lot more than older temple members," Ms.
with rabbis, many of whom Jacobs says.
were friends as well as
A few months after joining Temple
teachers. As a high-school- Emanu-El, Rabbi Brodsky met her hus-
er in West Bloomfield, band Dennis Brodsky, an attorney,
Rabbi Brodsky was active through his mother, whom she had met
in Temple Beth El's youth at a luncheon.
and d went to services
"I never thought this person would call
every week. She also me. What Jewish boy in his right mind
worked at the temple dur- would take a phone number from his
- ing her senior year in high mother who says, 'I met a nice Jewish girl
school and freshman year and she's a rabbi.' "
at the University of Michi-
In many respects, she says, her hus-
gan.
band is more a traditional Jew than
During rabbinic school she is. He understands that her work
at Hebrew Union College, as a rabbi means countless hours on the
she interned at Temple job.
Emanu-El. under Rabbi
That, in fact, is why Rabbi Brodsky is
Lane Steinger, an experi- leaving Temple Emanu-El shortly for
ence that provided a teaching posts at Temple Kol Ami and the
"bird's-eye view" of a rab- Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-Christ-
bi's responsibilities and the ian Studies.
goings-on in a synagogue.
Last year, she assumed a second role
But when she was hired in the temple, that of director of educa-
as assistant rabbi after her tion and youth activities. It's been a strain.
ordination, it was never- Rabbi Brodsky says she doesn't even want
theless jarring to be con- to guess how many hours she puts in
sidered a colleague of the preparing classes, teaching, writing and
rabbis who once mentored giving sermons, performing life-cycle cer-
her.
emonies; meeting with congregants. Find-
"I go to meetings with ing time to study, much less plow through
them and co-officiate life- the novels stacked on her bedside table,
cycle events with them. It's is a great challenge.
sort of strange, but it's sort
"The combined position is too much. It's
of nice," she says.
not a complaint. I knew going into the rab-
Joining the rabbinate binate that rabbis work crazy hours and
was natural. Rabbi Brod- a lot of them. But I'm not home enough.
sky chose a major in school There has to be some time with your fam-
— psychology — because ily and friends and taking care of your-
it was required. She knew self, and that's been real minimal this
she'd go on to Hebrew year," she says.
Union after graduation.
Plus, "I'm eager to spread my wings and
"It just made sense. So get a different kind of experience."