The Changing Face of the Rabbinate

Rabbi Sandra Lawson had endured a grueling process of applying and interviewing for many jobs at many different inclusive synagogues but had not yet been successful. However, after months of hard work, her final application really felt promising. As she edged closer to the finishing line, Lawson began seeing herself in the role she had applied for. As a queer, Black convert who had served in the military before being ordained through the Reconstructionist movement, she was used to shattering expectations of what "Jewish clergy" looked like. However, the job was not to happen; the synagogue - which was presenting as inclusive and open-minded - informed Lawson, she said, that they ultimately "could not hire a Black rabbi."