Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah 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 Elli Tikvah Sarah 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 Elli Tikvah Sarah reflects on the evolving role of women and LGBTQIA+ rabbis in the Progressive Jewish world since her ordination at Leo Baeck College in 1989.
My particular story revolves around my experience as a lesbian rabbi. In 1984, the late Sheila Shulman, Zichronah livrachah, and I became the first out lesbians to enter the rabbinic programme at Leo Baeck College. My principal reason for applying to the Leo Baeck College was to contribute to the task of making Jewish teaching and Jewish life more egalitarian and inclusive.
As Sheila and I discovered when we applied to the college, there was considerable resistance to lesbians being accepted for rabbinic training. During the interview process, we were given two psychological assessments, rather than the usual one. As a condition of acceptance, we were also put on probation for the full five years of the programme, and informed that we could be told to leave at any point. When we asked what behaviour on our part would constitute breaching probation, the response was that no one knew, but that remaining on the rabbinic programme would depend on us proving ourselves to be acceptable to the congregations of RSGB and ULPS (the two movements which fund the college).
Given the emphasis on congregational acceptance, instead of going to Israel with our classmates in our third year (1986-87), special apprenticeships were arranged for us with two synagogues. Most of the congregations declined to host us, but eventually two were found. Sheila went to Finchley Reform Synagogue, where she was apprenticed to Rabbi Jeffrey Newman, and I went to South West Essex Reform Synagogue and was apprenticed to Rabbi Henry Goldstein.
Fortunately, throughout my time at LBC, I received steadfast support from my tutor, Rabbi Lionel Blue, Zichrono livrachah, who became my ordaining rabbi. I was also supported by Rabbi Barbara Borts, who had sponsored my application to the college, and who was at that time Rabbi of Radlett Bushey Reform Synagogue. Barbara took me on as a cheder teacher. I also became a junior warden at the shul, and gave my first sermon there in 1985 at the beginning of my second year.
Membership of the Assembly of Rabbis is usually automatic for any rabbi serving a Reform congregation. Nevertheless, even though following ordination in July 1989 we had jobs to go to at Reform-affiliated congregations, the Assembly spent an entire day debating whether or not Sheila and I would be accepted as members. Thankfully, at the end of that long day, the majority were in favour.
In my first post, although I had established in a relationship with the synagogue as a fifth-year student, there was resistance in some quarters to employing a lesbian rabbi. This led to the need for RSGB-led arbitration, when a small group began to campaign to get rid of me. In my pastoral work, I also had the experience of one family being unwilling for me to teach their daughters because they thought I might molest them. Fortunately, I earned the respect of the great majority in the congregation, but the antics of a minority were very wounding.
The landscape of bigotry had changed significantly by the time Sheila and I reached the 25th anniversary of our ordinations. Having been the 10th and 11th women respectively to be ordained as rabbis, by 2014, 50% of the progressive rabbinate was female. Just as important, 20% of the progressive rabbinate was LGBTQ. The 25th anniversary of our ordinations was considered such an important milestone by the college that a special day of celebration was held in June 2014, with Rabbi Dr Rachel Adler being invited over from the United States to be the keynote speaker.
Sadly, Sheila, died in October 2014. When it came to the 35th anniversary of our ordinations, the college organised a panel event at Finchley Reform Synagogue, in which I participated along with five of my LGBTQ rabbinic colleagues: Judith Levitt, Daniel Lichman, Indigo Raphael, Dr Judith Rosen-Berry and Anna Wolfson. The college also arranged filmed interviews with some LGBTQ rabbis (including me) and one ally. The completed video was launched in February 2025 to coincide with LGBT+ History Month.
Despite my experiences of homophobia as a rabbinic student, I have always supported the college, including as a monthly donor. I was a rabbinic tutor for many years, and also co-taught Biblical Hebrew, Spirituality, and Progressive Judaism. In training rabbis to be Progressive Judaism’s spiritual and intellectual leadership in Britain and Europe, the college has a vital role to play in shaping the future of progressive Jewish life.
Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah
February 2025 – Sh’vat 5785
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.