Gesa Ederberg (born 1968 in Tübingen, Germany) is a German rabbi; she became the first female pulpit rabbi in Berlin in 2007 when she became the rabbi of the New Synagogue, Berlin (Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue) in the former East Berlin.[1][2][3][4] Her installation as such was opposed by Berlin's senior Orthodox rabbi Yitzchak Ehrenberg.[1]

She converted to Judaism in 1995.[3] She was ordained by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem in 2003.[5] She established a Conservative Jewish beit midrash in Berlin.[5] She was part of the 2006 founding of the European Rabbinical Assembly of Masorti/Conservative Rabbis.[6]

As of 2013, she was the executive vice president of Masorti Europe and the rabbi of New Synagogue, Berlin.[7][8]

The 2022 art exhibit “Holy Sparks”, shown among other places at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, featured art about twenty-four female rabbis who were firsts in some way;[9][10] Yona Verwer created the artwork about Ederberg that was in that exhibit.[11]

Publications edit

  • Knobloch, Charlotte; Brumlik, Micha; Ederberg, Gesa S. (2007). Wenn nicht jetzt, wann dann? Zur Zukunft des deutschen Judentums [If Not Now, When Then? On The Future of the German Jewry] (in German). Wilfried Köpke. Verlag Herder. ISBN 978-3451293955.

References edit

  1. ^ a b "A lone groan for female rabbi in Berlin | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". jta.org. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  2. ^ "MERCAZ USA Newsletter". mercazusa.org. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  3. ^ a b "After Long Path Female Rabbi Installed in German Community - InterfaithFamily". interfaithfamily.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue | The team of the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue". or-synagoge.de. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Article Details". acjna.org. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  6. ^ "Gesa Ederberg | Jewish Women's Archive". jwa.org. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue | The team of the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue". or-synagoge.de. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  8. ^ "Conservative movement launching seminary in Germany | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". jta.org. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  9. ^ Eckerling, Debra L. (31 March 2022). ""Holy Sparks" Exhibition Celebrates 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate". Jewish Journal.
  10. ^ "Holy Sparks: Celebrating Fifty Years of Women in the Rabbinate". HUC.
  11. ^ "VIDEO: HOLY SPARKS – Celebrating 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate". Jewish Art Salon. 30 January 2022.