Sharon Kleinbaum is a leading social justice activist and an openly lesbian

Lesbian

Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

 rabbi

Rabbi

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

 who has been Senior Rabbi of New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

’s Congregation Beit Simchat Torah

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah is a Jewish synagogue located in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1973 and describes itself as the world's largest LGBT synagogue. CBST serves Jews of all sexual orientations and gender identities, their families, and their friends. It is led by Senior...

 (http://www.cbst.org/CBST, the largest LGBTQ synagogue

Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...

 in the world]) since 1992 . She is a prominent advocate for human rights

Human rights

Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

 . She graduated from Barnard College

Barnard College

Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...

 and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College , is located in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles north of central Philadelphia. RRC is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and...

, where she was ordained . While at Barnard College, she led protests against Barnard’s investments in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 and against the proliferation of nuclear weapon

Nuclear weapon

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...

s . She has two daughters .

Awards

Rabbi Kleinbaum is a recipient of the Jewish Fund for Justice Woman of Valor Award. She has been named one of the country's top 50 Jewish leaders by the Forward (1994, 1997, 2006, and 2011) and the New York Jewish Week (1995), one of Forward's Sisterhood 50 American Influential Rabbis (2011), one of the 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America by Newsweek (2007-2011), one of the Top 10 Women Religious Leaders and one of the 15 Inspiring LGBT Leaders by the Huffington Post. Other awards she has received include:

• New York City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman
  Elizabeth Holtzman
  Elizabeth Holtzman is an American lawyer and former Democratic politician, pioneer woman officeholder, four term U.S. Representative , two term District Attorney of Kings County , and New York City Comptroller .Her role on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate scandal drew national...
  
  's award for her leadership and courage in the fight for lesbian and gay rights in June 1993.
• Hetrick-Martin Emery Award in 1996.
• Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Board of Governors Award in June 1997.
• New York City Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi’s award for her leadership and dedication to safeguarding the rights of lesbians and gay men in June 1998.
• Jewish Fund for Justice’s “Woman of Valor” in 2000.
• The Lavendar Light: Black and People of All Colors, Lesbian and Gay Gospel Choir Warriors of Faith Award in June 2006
• Grand Marshall for Heritage of Pride Gay Pride March in 2007.
• LGBT Center’s Women’s Event Community Leader Award in November 2009.

Education

Rabbi Kleinbaum was a 1977 graduate of The Frisch School of Northern New Jersey, and graduated cum laude from Barnard College with a degree in Political Science in 1981. She received her ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College , is located in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles north of central Philadelphia. RRC is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and...

in 1990. Rabbi Kleinbaum has also studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at the Oxford University Centre for Post-Graduate Hebrew and Yiddish.

Articles and Books

• Editor: Siddur B’chol L’vav’cha (Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, 2007)
• Listening for the Oboe (Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, 2005)
• Synagogue as Spiritual Community (Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, 2001)
• "Bully Me" in It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living, edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller , Dutton Adult (March 22, 2011)
• “Do Not Hold Back: Notes from a Gay Congregation” by Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Tikkun, p.51, Winter 2011
• “Supporting Our Muslim in the New Year” by Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Gay City News, September, 15 2010.
• “Signs of Faith, ‘God Hates Hate’" by Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, The Advocate.com, June 25, 2009.
• "Overcoming Prejudice" in Conscience 27. (2006)
• “What Now? After the Exodus , the Wilderness” from Women’s Passover Companion: Women’s Reflections on the Festival of Freedom edited by Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, Tara Mohr and Catherine Spector, Jewish Lights Pub; (February 2003)
• Essay in Rabbis: The Many Faces of Judaism: 100 Unexpected Photographs of Rabbis With Essays in Their Own Words (Universe Publishing 2002)
• “There’s a Place for Us: Gays and Lesbians in the Jewish Community” by Rabbis Sharon A. Kleinbaum and Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, Life Lights (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002)
• “Gay and Lesbian Synagogue as Spiritual Community” in the anthology Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation edited by Rebecca R. Alpert, Sue Levi Elwell and Shirley Idelson (Rutgers University Press 2001)
• “Memo to Clinton: Gays and Lesbians”, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Tikkun Magazine, Vol. 8, January 1993
• “An Eye for an Eye, A Tooth for a Tooth” in Reconstructionist Autumn 1992
• “Responses to the Destruction: A Look at Some Rabbinic Texts” in Reconstructionist July-August 1990

Works that Reference Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

• The L Life: Extraordinary Lesbians making a Difference by Erin McHugh, photographs by Jennifer May, Stewart, Tabori and Chang (2011) p. 130
• Liberation through Religion: A Conversation with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum by Rebecca Steinitz, Arcus Foundation, October 15 2010
• Travels in A Gay Nation: Portraits of LGBTQ Americans by Philip Gambone, University of Wisconsin Press (2010) p. 186
• Lawyers' Ethics and the Pursuit of Social Justice: A Critical Reader (Critical America) (New York University Press 2005)
• Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of A Man Who Rescued A Million Yiddish Books (Algonquin Books 2004)
• The Many Faces of God: A Reader of Modern Jewish Theologies (URJ Press 2004)
• From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship (Columbia University Press 2004)
• The Quotable Jewish Woman: Wisdom, Inspiration, & Humor from the Mind and Heart (Jewish Lights Publishing 2004)
• His Brother’s Keeper: 50 Years of the American Jewish Society for Service, by Paul Milkman, Global Publications (2001)
• Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation edited by Rebecca R. Alpert, Sue Levi Elwell and Shirley Idelson (Rutgers University Press 2001)
• The Journey Home: Jewish Women and the American Century by Joyce Antler (Free Press 1997)
• Chapter 7 “From Exile to Homecoming” Taking Judaism Personally: Creating a Meaningful Spiritual Life by Judy Petsonk, Free Press (1996).
• “Western Ideas About Death Chronology Part 7”, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum”, All of Us: Americans Talk About the Meaning of Death, by Patricia Anderson, Delacorte Press (1996)
• “Part 2: A Death in the Family: AIDS Related Deaths” Interview with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, A Time to Mourn, A Time to Comfort, by Dr. Ron Wolfson, The Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs (1993)
• A Gay Synagogue in New York by Moshe Shokeid Columbia University Press (1995)

Films that Rabbi Kleinbaum is featured in:

• Everything Relative (1996) written and directed by Sharon Pollack
• Ruthie and Connie: Every Room in the House (2002) Directed by Deborah Dickson. With Ruthie Berman, Connie Kurtz.
• Jerusalem is Proud to Present (2008) A film by Nitzan Gilady, Producer: Galia Bador
• Grace Paley: Collected Shorts (2009) A film by Lilly Rivlin

External Links

• The Ties that Bind: A Conversation with Bishop Gene Robinson and Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum Ties that Bind, In The Life, January 2009
• Rabbi Kleinbaum's Message to LGBTQ Youth
• Queer Rising's Action "In God's Name" 12/16/10
• "In God's Name: Hate is the Abomination" Kristallnacht Anniversary Press Announcement (PART 1)
• Joyce Rosenzweig Presentation from CBST's Shabbat Shirah Concert 2011
• 5-26-09 Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum Speaking Against Proposition 8