# Rachel Isaacs

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**Rachel Isaacs** was the first openly [lesbian rabbi](/source/Lesbian_rabbi) ordained by the [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Judaism) movement's [Jewish Theological Seminary](/source/Jewish_Theological_Seminary_of_America) ("JTS"), which occurred in May 2011.[1]

## Biography

Isaacs earned her [B.A.](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) from [Wellesley College](/source/Wellesley_College) in 2005, where she was the [Hillel](/source/Hillel_International) Co-president.[2] [3] She transferred to the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) from the Reform movement's [Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion](/source/Hebrew_Union_College-Jewish_Institute_of_Religion) in her third year of rabbinical school.[4] Isaacs was mentored at JTS by Rabbi Carie Carter, who placed the [tallit](/source/Tallit) across Isaacs' shoulders at her ordination.[4] Rabbi Carter was a closeted lesbian during her time at JTS, and wrote the originally-anonymous chapter "In Hiding" about lesbian Conservative rabbis in the 2001 book *Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation*.[1] Rabbi Carter is now openly lesbian, and works at Brooklyn's Park Slope Jewish Center, which Rachel Isaacs interned at.[1]

In 2011 Isaacs became the first openly [lesbian rabbi](/source/Lesbian_rabbi) ordained by JTS,[1] and later that year she became the first openly gay rabbi to join the [Rabbinical Assembly](/source/Rabbinical_Assembly).[5]

In 2014, Isaacs was named one of "America's Most Inspiring Rabbis" by the Jewish Daily Forward.[6] In 2016, she delivered the evening Hanukkah benediction at the White House.[7]

She is now the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in [Waterville, Maine](/source/Waterville,_Maine), which is a Conservative synagogue,[2][6] as well as the Dorothy "Bibby" Levine Alfond Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at [Colby College](/source/Colby_College).[8] She is also the director of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, also at Colby.[9]

## See also

- [Timeline of women rabbis](/source/Timeline_of_women_rabbis)

## References

1. Amy Stone (Summer 2011). ["Out and Ordained"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111025144418/http://www.lilith.org/pdfs/LILSu11_FINAL_Outandordained.pdf). *Lilith*. Archived from [the original](http://www.lilith.org/pdfs/LILSu11_FINAL_Outandordained.pdf) on 2011-10-25. Retrieved 2011-11-19.

1. ["Beth Israel Congregation"](http://www.bethisraelwaterville.org/#!bio). Beth Israel Congregation, Waterville, ME. Retrieved 19 November 2011.

1. ["Jewish Studies at Colby College » Blog Archive » Welcome, Rachel Isaacs and Linda Maizels!"](http://web.colby.edu/jewishstudies/2011/08/19/welcome-isaacs-maizels/). *Jewish Studies at Colby College*. Colby College. 2011-08-19. Retrieved 2011-11-19.

1. ["JTS Ordains Its First Openly Gay Rabbi – The Sisterhood – Forward.com"](http://blogs.forward.com/sisterhood-blog/138141/). Blogs.forward.com. 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2011-11-19.

1. ["RA History"](https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/about-us/ra-history). *The Rabbinical Assembly*

1. ["Rabbi at Waterville synagogue named one of America's 'Most Inspiring' Jewish clergy"](https://bangordailynews.com/2014/03/20/religion/rabbi-at-waterville-synagogue-named-one-of-americas-most-inspiring-jewish-clergy/). *The Bangor Daily News*. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.

1. Posted December 15, 2016 (2016-12-15). ["Waterville rabbi calls delivering Hanukkah remarks at White House 'incredible'"](http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/12/15/waterville-rabbi-says-delivering-hanukkah-remarks-at-white-house-was-surreal/). CentralMaine.com. Retrieved 2017-06-23.

1. College, Colby. ["Dorothy "Bibby" Levine Alfond Professorship of Jewish Studies Inaugural Lecture and a Celebration of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015"](http://www.colby.edu/jewishlife/bibby-alfond-inaugural/). *Colby.edu*

1. College, Colby. ["Center for Small Town Jewish Life"](http://www.colby.edu/jewishlife/leadership/). *Colby.edu*

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