Rebecca Dubowe

Rebecca Dubowe is the first deaf woman to be ordained as a rabbi in the United States. She was born in Los Angeles, and earned a B.A. in Jewish studies from the University of Judaism and an M.A. in Hebrew letters from Hebrew Union College. She was ordained in 1993 by the American Reform seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She served as Associate Rabbi from 1993 to 1997 at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, N.J, and then joined Temple Adat Elohim in Thousand Oaks, California, in 1997, where she currently works as a rabbi. She also serves on the board of the Women's Rabbinic Network, the national organization for female Reform rabbis in America. During March and April 2010, she went on a national speaking tour to "share [her] sacred journey" and to educate others about the inclusion of people with disabilities in Jewish life and ritual. In 2010 she was also listed by The Sisterhood, The Jewish Daily Forward's women's issues blog, as one of 50 influential female rabbis in America.