Lauren Tuchman

Lauren Tuchman
Born1986 (age 38–39)
Education
OccupationRabbi
Years active2017-
EmployerAvodah
Websitehttps://rabbituchman.com/

Lauren Tuchman (born 1986) is the first blind woman to be ordained as a rabbi. She is notable for her contributions to inclusive Torah and advocacy for disability justice.

Biography

Tuchman was born in 1986, and has been blind since infancy.[1][2] She was raised in Washington, D.C., in an interfaith family with a secular Jewish father and a Catholic mother.[2] Tuchman was raised Catholic and her mother incorporated Jewish traditions into her upbringing.[3] During her time in the Catholic community, Tuchman experienced several ableist incidents. As a teenager, she began embracing Judaism after encountering a braille siddur.[1] Tuchman formally converted to Judaism as a young adult.

Tuchman attended Dickinson College, where she majored in religion.[4] She later earned a master's degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS).[2] Recognizing a lack of broader inclusion for individuals with disabilities in Jewish spaces, Tuchman decided to pursue rabbinical ordination three years after completing her graduate studies.[5]

She continued her education at JTS for rabbinical school, where she participated in social justice programs, including the Jewish Organizing Institute & Network (JOIN for Justice) training for clergy and the Jews United for Justice Jeremiah Fellowship.[2] She also served as a rabbinic intern for T'ruah.[5] In 2017, she delivered an ELI Talk titled We All Were At Sinai: The Transformative Power of Inclusive Torah.

After her ordination in 2018, Tuchman began working at Avodah, a Jewish service organization, as their Washington, DC–based Rabbi-in Residence.[2][6] In 2019, she joined JOIN for Justice's board of directors and completed the first cohort of SVARA's Kollel.[7] From 2018 to 2020, Tuchman participated in David Jaffe's Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project, focusing on social justice leadership through Musar, and subsequently began teaching within the program.[2]

Following her ordination in 2018, Tuchman began working at Avodah, a Jewish service organization, as the Washington, DC–based Ruach Rabbi-in Residence. In September 2019, she joined JOIN for Justice's board of directors. Also in 2019, she completed SVARA's Kollel as a part of their first cohort.

Tuchman's work also includes speaking with congregations and consulting with individuals and organizations on access and inclusion and contributes Torah commentary to several resources.[7]

Theology

For many years, Tuchman incorporated Hasidic teachings, particularly those of Kalonymus Kalman Shapira.[2]

Awards and honors

References

  1. ^ a b "Through a Different Lens: First Blind Woman Rabbi Talks Life, Judaism, and Inclusion | Journeys: Jewish Living, Jewish Meaning". Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Lauren Tuchman". Jewish Women's Archive. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  3. ^ Buckholtz, Marjorie (2021-10-29). "From Moses to Covid: Rabbi Lauren Tuchman on Disability and Inclusion". Lilith Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  4. ^ Foretek, Jared (2019-02-27). "Inclusion is not an investment, rabbi says". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  5. ^ a b Ross, Tova (2017-05-25). "Lauren Tuchman". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  6. ^ "The first blind female rabbi is making sure she won't be the last". The Forward. 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  7. ^ a b "Lauren Tuchman". SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  8. ^ "36 Under 36 2017". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  9. ^ "Rabbi Lauren Tuchman". RespectAbility. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  10. ^ "2020 Ushpizot". Jofa. Retrieved 2023-05-07.