Diversity Grows Among US Rabbis, With More Women and LGBTQ+ Leaders

Reform and Conservative movements see rising numbers of female and LGBTQ+ rabbis, though challenges remain

Feb. 1, 2026 at 7:15am

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The ranks of rabbis in the United States are becoming more diverse, with increasing numbers of women and LGBTQ+ people entering the rabbinate. Women who became rabbis decades ago are proud to have helped break the glass ceiling, paving the way for greater opportunities. While Orthodox branches generally do not allow women rabbis, the Reform and Conservative movements, as well as the growing nondenominational branch, do permit it. Rabbinical students and new rabbis from diverse backgrounds are shaking up the traditionally male-dominated field.

Why it matters

The growing diversity of the US rabbinate reflects broader changes in the Jewish community, as it becomes more inclusive of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color. This shift allows for a wider range of perspectives and experiences to shape the future of Judaism in America.

The details

Women now make up a sizable minority of the over 4,000 non-Ultra Orthodox rabbis in the US, and there are also more LGBTQ+ people, Jews of color, and members of interfaith households entering the rabbinate. This increased diversity is especially evident in non-Orthodox rabbinical schools, where women are now in the majority. However, the rabbinate still faces challenges in fully embracing this diversity, with some congregations and institutions struggling to adapt to the changing face of Jewish leadership.

  • In 1976, Rabbi Laura Geller was the only woman in her class at Hebrew Union College when she was ordained.
  • In 2011, Rabbi Rachel Isaacs became the first openly gay rabbi ordained by the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary.
  • In May 2023, Sarah Livschitz will be ordained, with her entire student cohort at Hebrew Union College being female.

The players

Rabbi Laura Geller

One of the first women rabbis in the Jewish Reform Movement, ordained in 1976, and now rabbi emerita of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, California.

Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein

Executive director of Atra: Center for Rabbinic Innovation, an organization that supports and trains Jewish spiritual leaders.

Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum

Director of congregational learning and programming at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Massachusetts, who was ordained in 2013 and has done extensive anti-racism work in the Jewish community.

Rabbi Rachel Isaacs

The first openly gay rabbi ordained by the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary, in 2011, and the rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville, Maine.

Rabbi Felicia Sol

The first woman to serve as senior rabbi in the almost 200-year history of New York's B'nai Jeshurun synagogue.

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What they’re saying

“Women have transformed Judaism. All the different kinds of movements have really noticed that Judaism needs to change because women's voices were ignored in the past.”

— Rabbi Laura Geller, Rabbi Emerita, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills (WRAL)

“For a lot of the younger generation, when they think of a rabbi, many of them, in their mind, the picture is a woman. When I was growing up, when I would think of a rabbi, I'd think, man.”

— Rabbi Rebecca Weintraub, Associate Rabbi, B'nai Jeshurun Congregation (WRAL)

“My Jewish experiences were pretty much all white. It was time to go into the job market, and that's when the voices really started to rise in my head: 'Who's going to hire a Black rabbi?' Not 'Who's going to hire a woman rabbi?'”

— Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum, Director of Congregational Learning and Programming, Temple Beth Zion (WRAL)

What’s next

In May 2023, Sarah Livschitz will be ordained, with her entire student cohort at Hebrew Union College being female.

The takeaway

The growing diversity of the US rabbinate, with more women and LGBTQ+ individuals entering the field, represents a significant shift in the traditionally male-dominated Jewish clergy. This change reflects the broader evolution of the American Jewish community and allows for a wider range of perspectives to shape the future of Judaism.