Miriam Gonczarska

maharat Miriam Gonczarska

Miriam Gonczarska
Position graduate (2015)
Yeshiva Yeshivat Maharat
Organisation Jewish Community of Warsaw
Personal details
Born (1972-11-24) 24 November 1972
Warsaw, Poland
Nationality Polish
Denomination Open Orthodox
Profession Maharat, journalist
Alma mater University of Warsaw, Yeshivat Maharat

Miriam Gonczarska (born 24 November 1972) is a Orthodox Jewish spiritual leader who in 2015 received orthodox Semikhah as first European, and in same time same Polish maharat.

Early life and education

Gonczarska was born in Warsaw, Poland to the Polish-Jewish family. She is a daughter of Edmund Gonczarski (Mendel Garncarski; 1922–1979), poet and journalist.[1]

In 1994 she graduated of LXI Secondary School in Warsaw. From the beginning of 1990s she has been involved in revival of the Jewish community in Poland:[2] she co-created "Jidele"[3] (magazine for Jewish children), cooperated with "Midrasz" (Jewish cultural monthly magazine), and served as coordinator of educational programs at the Union of Jewish Religious Communities. She also worked as editor of "Kol Polin" – Hebrew language section of Polish Radio for Abroad. Her texts has been published also in press like "Więź"[4][5] (Catholic monthly), "Gazeta Wyborcza", and "Przegląd Powszechny".[6] She has also served as Jewish law and religion expert for the polish television ("Babilon" program for TVN24, "Piąta strona nieba"[7] in Religia.tv, and press ("Wprost"[8] weekly). She worked also worked with Jewish cultural and religious portal jewish.org.pl.[9]

She is a member, and also serves as Secretary, of the Religious Council of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities of Poland, member of the board of the polish Association of Jewish Women.[10] She also is a member of B'nai B'rith Polska and Jewish Historical Institute Association. Until 2014 she has also served as member of the Revision Board of the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw. She has also helped creating "Ec Chaim" – reform community by the Religious Jewish Community.[11][12]

Miraim Gonczarska studied religious thought, and law and Torah in Israel (Nishmat, MaTan, and Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies) and in United States (Yeshiva Maharat). Gonczarska has an orthodox rabbinic degree[13] received after graduation of 5-year study program of Yeshiva Maharat.[14] She is the first European and Polish Jewish orthodox women to gain such degree and maharat title.[15][16][17][18]

Inter-religious dialogue

Already as a student-member of PUSZ (Polish Union of Jewish Students), Gonczarska often participated in Christian-Jewish events like seminars or study tours organized by PUSZ together with KIK (Club of Catholic Intelligentsia). Her further involvement in Jewish community and studies of Jewish thought,[19] went along her continuous commitment to dialogue between religions, especially with Christianity.[20] She serves as member of the board of the Polish Council of Christians and Jews.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Wirtualny Cmentarz". cemetery.jewish.org.pl. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "My schedule for Limmud NY 2014". limmudny2014.sched.org. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Gitelman, Zvi Y. (2003). New Jewish Identities: Contemporary Europe and Beyond. Central European University Press. p. 259. ISBN 9639241628.
  4. ↑ Kiedio, Prekursor. "Ku niebu i ku ziemi, Miriam Gonczarska | Marzec 2009 | WIĘŹ". Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  5. ↑ M. Gonczarska "Tora zeswatana z nowoczesnością" (en: "Torah and modernity"), in: "Więź", Issue no.2 (652)/2013 p. 102-109; publisher: Towarzystwo Więź, Warsaw 2013
  6. ↑ "Polska Żydówka". Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Piąta Strona Nieba – odc. 4 – cz.3, 20 October 2010, retrieved 18 June 2015
  8. ↑ "Odkopane korzenie". Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Szukaj". www.jewish.org.pl. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Maria Gonczarska, powiązany z POLSKA RADA CHRZEŚCIJAN I ŻYDÓW, STOWARZYSZENIE KOBIET ŻYDOWSKICH W POLSCE". www.monitorfirm.pl. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  11. ↑ "Świętują nowy rok kilka razy". Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  12. ↑ Ginsberg, Johanna (24 February 2012). "‘We want to place these women in synagogues’". New Jersey Jewish News. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "New cohort of clergy tests Orthodox readiness for women rabbis". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Miriam Gonczarska". Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Spotkanie z Miriam Gonczarską". 15 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "What to call an Orthodox female clergyperson?". Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "Miriam Gonczarska with a diploma - Virtual Shtetl". www.sztetl.org.pl. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  18. ↑ "Religie: O kapłaństwie kobiet | RDC". rdc.pl. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  19. ↑ "SPECIAL REPORT: Rebirth of Jewish life in Poland – Jewish News". Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  20. ↑ KAI, Katolicka. "XIII Dzień Judaizmu – ekai.pl". ekai.pl. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
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