{{Short description|French rabbi}} '''Pauline Bebe''' is the rabbi of Communauté Juive Libérale, a Progressive Jewish congregation in Paris. She was the first female rabbi in France,<ref>(French) Th.Gausserand, Dédicace. [http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2008/01/21/427684-Dedicace-Une-femme-rabbin-un-judaisme-liberal.html "Dédicace. Une femme rabbin, un judaïsme libéral"], ''Le depeche.fr'', 21 January 2008.</ref> and the first female rabbi to lead a synagogue there. {{as of|2018}} France has only four women rabbis, Bebe, Célia Surget,<ref>(French) Ophélie Neiman, [http://www.rue89.com/2007/08/03/celia-surget-femme-rabbin "Célia Surget, femme rabbin"], ''Rue89'', 3 August 2007.</ref><ref>(French) Sonia Sarah Lipsyc, [http://soniasarahlipsyc.canalblog.com/archives/2007/08/08/5842010.html "Célia Surget, deuxième femme rabbin en France"], 8 August 2007.</ref> Delphine Horvilleur<ref>(French) Sonia Sarah Lipsyc,[http://soniasarahlipsyc.canalblog.com/archives/2008/12/06/11650295.html "Delphine Horvilleur, 3ème femme rabbin en France"], 6 December 2008.</ref> and Floriane Chinsky.
== Early life ==
Bebe was born in 1965 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Her family lived through the German occupation and hid in the south of France throughout World War II.<ref>Marlene Adler Marks,[http://www.jewishjournal.com/articles/item/couscous_for_the_soul_20010112/ "Couscous for the Soul"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015120849/http://www.jewishjournal.com/articles/item/couscous_for_the_soul_20010112/ |date=2012-10-15 }}, ''The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles'', 11 January 2001.</ref> Her father was a pediatrician and her mother a lawyer. They were both Jews who, though nonpracticing, exposed their child to the lessons of the rue Copernic synagogue: "They gave me the education which they could not get because of the war".<ref name=JLE>(French) [http://www.lexpress.fr/informations/rabbin-et-feministe_642477.html "Rabbin et féministe"], ''Journal L'Express'', 17 May 2001.</ref> Her desire to become a rabbi dates to her adolescence:<ref name=JLE/> "I wanted to be a rabbi to accompany people for the important periods of their life. The liberal Jewish movement lauded the equality between the man and the woman. I saw no obstacle to my desire..."<ref name=Devinat1995>(French) François Devinat. [http://www.liberation.fr/portrait/0101143535-pauline-bebe-la-rabbine-par-qui-le-scandale-arrive "Pauline Bebe. La rabbine par qui le scandale arrive"], ''Libération.fr'', 4 May 1995.</ref>
She attended the lycée Lamartine high school in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, taking classical studies.<ref name=Devinat1995/> After graduation, she attended Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales at Paris, where she learned English and Hebrew. She has a BA in English and American literature and civilization, and an MA and {{lang|fr|DEA}} in Hebrew literature. Her Master's thesis was titled ''L'attitude du judaïsme face au prosélytisme et à la conversion'' ("The attitude of Judaism in the face of proselytism and conversion").<ref name=BebeCJL>(French) [http://www.cjl-paris.org/notre-rabbin/notre-rabbin-liberal-pauline-bebe "Le rabbin Pauline Bebe. Portrait et publications"], Communaute Juive Liberale website. Accessed 26 February 2011.</ref>
==Rabbinical education== In 1985, Bebe began her rabbinical studies in England with five years of studies at the Leo Baeck College. She stated "A liberal Rabbinical College in France does not exist, and I am attached to a Judaism based on the Enlightenment, to a religion which evolves according to periods and social circles."<ref name=Rivifre>(French) Manon Rivif're. [http://femme.planet.fr/action-pauline-bebe-femme-rabbin.15629.696.html "Pauline Bebe femme rabbin"], ''Femmes Plus'', 26 October 2006.</ref>
She completed her Hebrew cursus in Jerusalem at the Hebrew Union College.<ref>Dror Franck Sullaper. [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0003_0_02236.html "Bebe, Pauline"], ''Jewish Virtual Library'', 2008.</ref> She was ordained in 1990, one of about 30 women rabbis ordained by the Leo Baeck College between 1975 and 2006.<ref>Sybil Sheridan. [http://www.bet-debora.de/jewish-women/history.htm " History of Women in the Rabbinate: A Case of Communal Amnesia"], ''European Conference of Women Rabbis, Cantors, Scholars and all Spiritually Interested Jewish Women and Men'', 13–16 May 1999.</ref> Though less numerous than in the United States,<ref>Pamela S. Nadell. [http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/rabbis-in-united-states "Rabbis in the United States"], ''Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia'', Jewish Women's Archive.</ref> female rabbis exist in Europe, mostly in England, Germany and Netherlands.<ref>Pamela S. Nadell. ''Women Who Would Be Rabbis: A History of Women's Ordination 1889-1985'', Beacon Press, 1999.</ref>
==Career== Bebe first rabbinic position was at Mouvement Juif Liberal de France in Paris between 1990 and 1995. She helped those with drug addiction, HIV-positive people and eccentrics who were rejected by the traditional religious institutions.<ref name=Devinat1995/> Reactions to her as a female rabbi were mixed: "Some believers were very enthusiastic and trusted me, while others were violently opposed to the idea of having a woman rabbi."<ref name=Rivifre/>
In 1995 with Remy Schwartz, Bebe created her own congregation, Communaute Juive Liberale d'Île-de-France (CJL) in Paris.<ref>(French) http://prolib.net/pierre_bailleux/libresens/208.035.kippa.bebe.htm</ref> The congregation adopted the name ''MAAYAN'' (Hebrew for "wellspring"), and opened a new synagogue building in May 2006.<ref>(French) [http://www.cjl-paris.org/centre-maayan/presentation-centre-maayan "Le Centre Maayan"], Communaute Juive Liberale website.</ref><ref>(French) [http://www.cjl-paris.org/centre-maayan/agrandir-la-communaute-juive-liberale "Projet d'aménagement"], Communaute Juive Liberale website.</ref> By 2013, membership exceeded 400 households.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20130828171359/http://cjl-paris.org/actualites/399-appel-aux-dons Appel aux dons mai 2013]</ref> The CJL is affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism.
==Personal life== Bebe is married to Rabbi Tom Cohen,<ref name=Edinger2008>Bernard Edinger. [http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1330 "Europe Report: Flourishing in France"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007072510/http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1330 |date=2013-10-07 }}, ''Reform Judaism'' online, Spring 2008.</ref> an American expatriate who leads Kehilat Gesher, the American Jewish Congregation in Paris. Bebe is also the mother of four children; she says, "It's not always easy to be everywhere at the same time, but for the moment at least, my children aren't complaining".<ref name=Rivifre/>
==Writings== Bebe is the author of seven books and has written numerous articles:<ref name=BebeCJL/> * ''Le Judaïsme libéral'', {{Interlanguage link multi|Éditions Grancher|fr}}, 1993, {{ISBN|2-7339-0416-7}}. * ''ISHA, Dictionnaire des femmes et du judaïsme'', Calmann-Lévy, 2001, {{ISBN|2-7021-3153-0}} * ''Peut-on faire le bonheur de ses enfants ?'', avec {{Interlanguage link multi|Caroline Eliacheff|fr}} et Pierre Lassus, Éditions de l'Atelier, 2003, {{ISBN|2-7082-3696-2}} * ''Qu'est-ce que le judaïsme libéral ?'', Calmann-Lévy, 2006, {{ISBN|2-7021-3724-5}} * ''A l'ombre du tamaris'', {{Interlanguage link multi|Presses de la Renaissance|fr}}, 2010, {{ISBN|978-2-7509-0610-8}} * ''L'autre, cet infini'', avec {{Interlanguage link multi|Catherine Bensaid|fr}}, Éditions Robert Laffont, 2013, {{ISBN|978-2-221-10997-7}}
==Other== 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;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jewishjournal.com/community/346461/holy-sparks-exhibition-celebrates-50-years-of-women-in-the-rabbinate/|title=“Holy Sparks” Exhibition Celebrates 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate|first=Debra L.|last=Eckerling|date=March 31, 2022|website=Jewish Journal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://huc.edu/news/holy-sparks-celebrating-fifty-years-of-women-in-the-rabbinate/|title=Holy Sparks: Celebrating Fifty Years of Women in the Rabbinate|website=HUC}}</ref> Tamar Hirschl created the artwork about Bebe that was in that exhibit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jewishartsalon.org/videos/video-holy-sparks-celebrating-50-years-of-women-in-the-rabbinate/|title=VIDEO: HOLY SPARKS – Celebrating 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate|date=January 30, 2022|website=Jewish Art Salon}}</ref>
==See also== *Timeline of women rabbis
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==Bibliography== * [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0003_0_02236.html Pauline Bebe, Jewish Virtual Library]
==External links== * Bernard Edinger, [https://web.archive.org/web/20131007072510/http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1330 Europe Report: Flourishing in France], Reform Judaism online, spring 2008 * Pauline Bebe, [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Weekly_Torah_Portion/URJ--Tazria.shtml Reinterpreting the Mikveh. Making it relevant today] in my Jewish learning, from The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, edited by Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Andrea L. Weiss (New York: URJ Press and Women of Reform Judaism, 2008). * (French) [http://clio.revues.org/document53.html ''Pauline Bebe, ISHA. Dictionnaire des femmes et du judaïsme''], article in ''Clio'', numéro 16/2002, by Joëlle Allouche-Benayoun * (French ) [http://www.cjl-paris.org/notre-rabbin/les-sermons-drashot-du-rabbin-pauline-bebe Sermons of rabbi Pauline Bebe] * (French) Video, [http://www.akadem.org/sommaire/series/module_6591.php# Paracha Hashavoua 5770: Du déluge à la tour de Babel, Noa’h: une lecture éthique des grands récits de l'humanité] October 2009 * (French) [http://www.cjl-paris.org/notre-rabbin/interventions-pauline-bebe Interviews with Pauline Bebe]
{{Women rabbis}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bebe, Pauline}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:French Reform rabbis Category:Jews and Judaism in Paris Category:Reform women rabbis Category:Alumni of Leo Baeck College Category:Reform Jewish feminists Category:21st-century French rabbis Category:Jewish feminists