Maharat


Maharat is a yeshiva located in Bronx, NY, which is the first Open Orthodox institution in North America to ordain Open Orthodox women. The word maharat is a Hebrew acronym for words manhiga hilkhatit rukhanit Toranit denoting a female "leader of Jewish law spirituality and Torah". Maharat, as a clergy title, is awarded with semikha to the graduates of a 4-year-long program composed of profound studies of Jewish law, Talmud, Torah, Jewish thought, leadership training, and pastoral counseling.

History

In 2009, Rabbi Avi Weiss and Rabbi Daniel Sperber ordained Sara Hurwitz. She was the first woman to receive Open Orthodox semikha. That same year Hurwitz and Weiss founded an Open Orthodox yeshiva for women, Yeshivat Maharat in New York, where Hurwitz serves as President. In 2018-2019, its 10th year, Maharat has graduated 26 women who are serving in clergy roles in Open Orthodox synagogues, schools, hospitals, universities and Jewish communal institutions. There are 31 more students in the pipeline, preparing to change the landscape of Open Orthodox Judaism and the community at large. Maharat has impacted over 50 communities worldwide.
Graduates of Maharat utilize titles such as Maharat, Rabba, Rabbanit and Rabbi. In 2015, Lila Kagedan was ordained as Rabbi by that same organization, making her their first graduate to take the title rabbi.

Response from the American Orthodox rabbinate

In 2015, the Rabbinical Council of America passed a resolution which states, "RCA members with positions in Orthodox institutions may not ordain women into the Orthodox rabbinate, regardless of the title used; or hire or ratify the hiring of a woman into a rabbinic position at an Orthodox institution; or allow a title implying rabbinic ordination to be used by a teacher of Limudei Kodesh in an Orthodox institution." Also in 2015, Agudath Israel of America denounced moves to ordain women, and went even further, declaring Yeshivat Maharat, Open Orthodoxy, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and other affiliated entities to be similar to other dissident movements throughout Jewish history in having rejected basic tenets of Judaism.
Avi Weiss has continuously tried to advocate for the right for female clergy to use the rabbi title. In protest of those denying this right to women, Weiss resigned from the Rabbinical Council of America.