Orthodox Judaism is making space for women’s religious leadership – even without traditional ordination

Eds: This story was supplied by The Conversation for AP customers. The Associated Press does not guarantee the content.

Michal Raucher , Rutgers University

(THE CONVERSATION) When people picture a rabbi, they may imagine a man standing in front of a congregation in a synagogue. But “rabbi” means much more than that. For example, a rabbi could be a teacher, a nonprofit executive for a Jewish organization or a scholar of Jewish law – and, increasingly, some of those roles are held by Orthodox women.

For decades, liberal denominations have permitted women to be ordained . Orthodox Judaism, however, has largely prohibited it. Yet attitudes toward women’s study of rabbinic texts is changing, leading some Orthodox leaders to conclude that women are qualified for rabbinic jobs .

Israe