Opinion

OTHER VIEWS

The Real Super-Heroes

With great power comes great responsibility.

W

hen I began the honor serving
as the Young Adult Division
board president of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, I
was under false assumptions of a sort of
"super-human" type strength. All I seem
to have received was a "super-human" dose
of responsibility. Where was Spiderman's
uncle back at the start of my term with his
all-knowing advice?
In retrospect, while titles and high-level
positions can give some sort of personal
meaning, as I have looked back at the past
year and at who have been the real super-
heroes of this community, no president
could take that credit. It's been all about
the "Participant"
Be it a president, a board member or

a committee chair, what has mattered is
of young adults to help build a stronger
how many people have taken part to make Jewish community for other young adults
YAD Detroit the explosive energy it has
in Kiev, Ukraine. This unique program
become. YAD has worked to
will be exciting to track as we
help not only the community
continue our mission of global
here in Detroit, but the millions
Jewish continuity.
around the globe. To me, there
Thank you so much for
is no better place where you
allowing me to serve our
can impact the lives of so many
community as president of
than through our Federation.
the Young Adult Division; it
YAD has certainly been busy
has been a great honor work-
this past year. With great pro-
ing with so many to do so
Brad " Bubba"
gramming, new relationship
much
good. To our staff at the
Ur dan
building and two trips to Israel,
Federation,
the year went by
Commu nity View
I have been able to watch our
fast and now we move on to
role in building community in
our next challenge together.
Israel. In May, we extended this to another To our partners at the Jewish News, thank
continent. Jennifer Friedman led a group
you for the great publicity and all of the

support to ensure that our young people
have a voice in our community. To the
rabbinic staff at our temples, synagogues
and schools, your support and assistance
in YAD programming only made our
year better. To our new YAD president, Jill
Menuck, you will be great!
Finally, to my closest and dearest
friends, the fact that you all understood
when I had a meeting or an event or a trip
was and is greatly appreciated.
It's been a great year. I look forward to
working with all of you in continuing our
mission and goal of "No Family Stands
Alone." ❑

Brad "Bubba" Urdan is a West Bloomfield resident.

I Do Not Look Like Moses

I

t happened again. I showed up to
officiate at a wedding and I was mis-
taken for the party planner. Now, I
did not take that as a total insult because
I felt complimented by the fact that I look
like I can throw a good party!
Sometimes I am mistaken for the flut-
ist; obviously I do not have a harp with
me or I am certain that is what would be
my assigned role at the wedding. "No," I
explain. "I am the rabbi." "Oh! I am sorry.
You do not look like the rabbi: is inevita-
bly the response.
In the 21st century in the setting of
North America, one of the most progres-
sive places on earth, amongst profession-
als who regularly interface with their own
women doctors, lawyers and politicians,
we still have the most difficult time re-
imaging "the Rabbi." I am convinced that
this is not out of malice, stubbornness or
ignorance. It is simply because for genera-
tion upon generation no one in the Jewish
community, let alone the greater society
we live in, was ever exposed to a woman
rabbi. We have grown to expect Moses or
some newly shaved variety of him. Simply
put, I do not look like Moses.

Back In Time
However, it is not true that woman rabbis
are entirely new to Jewish history. There
were several women who did succeed in
becoming Jewish leaders prior to the latter
half of the 20th century.

A26

July 3 • 2008

JN

From the 15th to 19th century, a group
tion for Jewish women in the world today:
of European women were identified as
Hadassah.
"lady rabbinists." Most of these women
Regina Jonas holds the honor of being
were daughters of well-respected chas-
the first woman rabbi. Privately ordained,
sidic rabbis. Their fathers allowed them to Jonas lived in Berlin and in 1930 wrote her
study Talmud and Torah and they became rabbinical thesis on, "Can a Woman Hold
Jewish scholars in their own right.
Rabbinical Office?" She stated that she
The story of Hannah Rochel
undertook this work in order
is especially interesting. Just
to become a rabbi — "when
prior to her birth, her father
that will be possible." By the
went to see a famous seer
end of the 1930s as Jewish
who prophesized that his wife
communities lost their rabbis
would give birth to a great
because of arrests, deportations
talmudic scholar. Shortly after,
and emigration, the Jewish
when his wife gave birth to a
community increasingly turned
baby girl, her father decided to
to her for her services. She
open the world of Judaic schol-
worked in Berlin until 1942
Rabbi Tamara
arship to her. Upon his death,
when
she herself was deported
Kol ton
he left to Hannah a small home
and
subsequently
murdered in
Commun ity View
that became known as "the
Aushwitz.
Green Shul." There, Hannah conducted
services and taught women and men
Turning Point
Talmud, always from behind a curtain.
In 1972, a circle of powerful Jewish
In 1903, an intelligent and educated
women organized into a group called
young woman named Henrietta Szold
Ezrat Nashim, Helpers of Women. They
was accepted into the Jewish Theological
distributed a bold and controversial
Seminary in New York. She was granted
statement at the Rabbinical Assembly
permission to study all the courses needed convention. The statement read, "The
to become a rabbi. However, she began her Jewish tradition, once far ahead of other
studies agreeing on one condition: that
cultures, has fallen disgracefully behind in
she never use her knowledge to pursue
failing to come to terms with the develop-
rabbinic ordination.
ments of the past century ... We've had
Henrietta Szold completed her studies
enough of apologetics: enough of Beruria,
but never pursued ordination. Instead,
Deborah, and Esther ... For 3,000 years,
she went on to found the largest organiza- one-half of the Jewish people have been

excluded from full participation in Jewish
communal life Their request was clear,
courageous and it changed the course of
Jewish history.
In 1972, the Cincinnati-based Hebrew
Union College of the Reform movement
ordained Sally Priesand. Her ordination
was a collective achievement. The work of
women for hundreds of years had come to
fruition.
Recently, a little boy in our Sunday
School told his mother that he did not think
men could be rabbis. His parents and I
laughed at his innocent reverse discrimina-
tion. But what he pointed out in his young
life was a fundamental truth about human
nature. Perception becomes reality. In other
words, what we perceive, we believe.
The history of women rabbis is just
beginning to be written. Today, among
those rabbinic seminaries that accept
women, approximately a third to one-half
of the incoming student body are female
and the population of women rabbis is
growing at a rapid pace.
We are living in exciting times. We are
living during an era when people, in every
walk of life, are increasingly being judged
not by their race, religion or gender, but
by the merit of their person. This is truly
a new day for women, for Judaism and for
humankind.

Rabbi Tamara Kolton, Ph.D., is the leader of
Birmingham Temple in Farmington Hills.

