Karen Soria

Karen Soria is the first female rabbi to serve in Australia, although she was born and ordained in the United States. She was originally from the Chicago area, and graduated from the HUC-JIR Reform Jewish seminary in 1981. She then became Australia's first female rabbi, serving with congregations in Melbourne from 1981 until 1989. Rabbi Soria later became the first female rabbi to serve with the U.S. Marines, which she did from 1992 until 1996; she was also the second female rabbi to serve in the U.S. Navy, a position she held from 1992 to 2003. In 2009 Soria became the first female rabbi in the Canadian Forces; she was assigned to 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. In 2011 HUC-JIR awarded her an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. As of 2011, Rabbi Soria serves as Rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.