with Lila Kagedan – Rabbi, Rabba, Maharat, Morateinu:
This year Yeshivat Maharat, the first Orthodox institution to ordain women as clergy gave smicha (ordination) to its third class of graduates. Just one week earlier 2 Orthodox women were ordained in Israel and several more women are studying for ordination. While an exciting time for many there is pushback from others. We will explore this journey of Orthodox women to the rabbinate from a variety of perspectives. These institutions and their supporters believe that it is a halachic (Jewish Legal) obligation for women to serve as clergy. Come and find out why!
Rabbi Lila Kagedan (Rav Lila Kagedan in Hebrew) is a consultant, lecturer, activist and educator in the areas of global health, ethics, religion and education and is a student at Harvard University. Lila proudly attended Hillel Academy, Machon Sarah and was in the first graduating class of Yitzchak Rabin High School. She is a Hadassah Brandeis Institute-Gender, Culture, Religion and Law Research Associate and a professor of bioethics at Touro College and the New York Medical Centre.. Lila is a clinical ethicist and chaplain and is currently completing the Jerusalem Rabbinate ordination tests privately. She is a halachic resource to a variety of religious institutions. She was ordained in 2015 by the Orthodox Rabbinical School for women Yeshivat Maharat and is the first Orthodox woman in North American to assume the title “Rabbi”.
Lila has consulted for several NGOs, health care centers and academic institutions and has lectured widely while also working in clinical environments. She has taught Talmud, ethics and Jewish studies in a variety of formal and non-formal settings and has written extensively on medicine and Jewish law, Jewish Ethics as well as on topics relating to women and Judaism/Jewish practice. Lila is the founder of the Sulam School and holds degrees and certificates from Midreshet Lindenbaum, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The University of Toronto, Harvard University, The Medstar Washington Hospital Center and Massachusetts General Hospital. She will be accepting a pulpit position upon graduation as well as continuing her clinical and academic pursuits.
