Rabbi Deborah Blausten shares her story to celebrate 50 years of women rabbis in the UK

This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jackie Tabick’s ordination and 50 years of women in the UK rabbinate, Rabbi Deborah Blausten talks about her experience as a woman rabbi. 

For the past five decades, Leo Baeck College has been at the forefront of progress, ordaining over 70 women rabbis and shaping the landscape of Progressive Judaism. To mark this milestone, we have curated an archive of inspiring stories that highlight their remarkable journeys. In this blog post, Rabbi Deborah Blausten reflects on the evolving role of women in the Progressive Jewish world and her own experiences as a rabbi since her ordination at Leo Baeck College in 2020.

My tutor and ordaining Rabbi, Sybil Sheridan, was one of the first female rabbis to be ordained in this country, and alongside Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild pioneered the rabbinic job-share as a working mother and congregational rabbi.

Now, as a new parent and congregational rabbi myself, it is so clear to me how the generation of women who served in these roles ahead of me have made a career path open to me that just did not exist a relatively short time ago. I think it’s easy to forget that the first generation of female rabbis are still in their working lives, such is the pace of change we have seen.

Training at LBC meant from the start of my journey to the rabbinate I was surrounded by stories of colleagues who had blazed trails and created new models of rabbinic service. It creates a culture of possibility, where we are both hugely indebted to those who came before us, and encouraged to continue to innovate and expand the rabbinate after their example.

Please see here a sermon on women in the rabbinate that I wrote ahead of my ordination.

We can only build the future of Progressive Judaism with the generosity of our supporters

Celebrate this foundational milestone with us and support the next generation of inspirational Progressive Jewish leaders by helping us raise £50,000 for 50 years of women in the UK rabbinate.

This year, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous supporter, we’re pleased to announce donation top-ups, so for every £4 you donate, they’ll add an extra £1 to celebrate this momentous occasion – find out more on the donation page

We also invite you to join us online on 14th May 2025 as we celebrate this extraordinary event with Rabbi Dr Jackie Tabick in conversation with Rabbi Professor Deborah Kahn-Harris.