Sharon Kleinbaum
Sharon Kleinbaum (born 1959) is a leading social justice activist and an openly lesbian rabbi who has been Senior Rabbi of New York City’s Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST, the largest LGBTQ synagogue in the world) since 1992.[1][2][3] She is a prominent advocate for human rights.[3] She graduated from Barnard College and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where she was ordained.[3] While at Barnard College, she led protests against Barnard’s investments in South Africa and against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.[2] She has two daughters.[2]
Awards
Named one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek for five years (2007-2011),[4] one of the Top 10 Women Religious Leaders[5] and one of the 15 Inspiring LGBT Leaders[6] by the Huffington Post. She has been named one of the country's top 50 Jewish leaders by the Forward (1994, 1997, 2006, and 2011)[7] and the New York Jewish Week (1995), one of Forward's Sisterhood 50 American Influential Rabbis (2011),[8] Rabbi Kleinbaum is a recipient of the Jewish Fund for Justice Woman of Valor Award. Other awards she has received include:
- New York City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman'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 is a 1977 graduate of The Frisch Yeshiva High 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 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 Studies.
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 Neighbors 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).
- "Liberation through Religion: A Conversation with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum" by Rebecca Steinitz, Arcus Foundation, October 15, 2010.[9]
- Travels in A Gay Nation: Portraits of LGBTQ Americans by Philip Gambone, University of Wisconsin Press (2010).
- 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).[10]
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.
References
External links
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Kleinbaum, Sharon |
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1959 |
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