Rabbi Barbara Borts

I was born in Los Angeles, California. I developed a passionate interest in Jewish Studies and in music and the idea of becoming a rabbi came to me early on, after Sally Priesand was admitted to rabbinical college. In university, I decided to minor in music (I studied violin)  and then to read/graduate with a major in Religious Studies with an emphasis in Judaism. I moved to the Netherlands in 1975, where I worked with the LJG in Amsterdam, teaching children for the first time, and on a couple of committees. By then, my desire to become a rabbi was firm, so in 1976, I moved to England to study at Leo Baeck College. I was ordained in 1981, becoming the joint 3rd women rabbi in England/Europe  and worked as a congregational rabbi both full-time and  part-time. My last pulpit was Radlett and Bushey Reform Synagogue. I spent some time in the voluntary sector as the Director of the Homeless Volunteer Scheme of CSV – Community Service Volunteers. I was the founder and Chair of the RSGB (Reform Synagogues of Great Britain) Social Action Group, during which time I wrote or collaborated in writing on women’s issues, abortion, and tzedakah and the festivals. I was also a co-founder of JONAH (Jews Organised for a Nuclear Arms Halt) and a Jewish-Christian feminist dialogue group as well as being active in JSH (Jewish Support for the Homeless) and other such organisations.

I returned to North America in 1990 for personal reasons,  worked at the Reconstructionist rabbinical college, at a University in upstate New York, as a congregational rabbi and as a chaplain for the State of New York. I moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1995, where I worked in the field of adult Jewish education, as the teacher for the conversion courses for the Conservative movement in Montreal, as an instructor with the Florence H. Melton Adult Mini-School, and in various adult educational programmes. During that time, I earned an MA in the Faculty of Education at McGill University, in the department of Culture and Values in Education, with an emphasis on adult learning.

In 2001, I returned once more in the US, where I worked in a Jewish day school and, for 3 years, as the interim rabbi at Temple Adath Yeshurun, Machester, NH. I finished that appointment in 2005. It had long been a desire of mine to return for a period of time to the UK and I was able to do that in the summer of 2005.  I worked part time for both KLS and SBJC until 2006.

I have published articles in books on the topics of women and Judaism, and other articles and pamphlets on Jewish feminism and Judaism and social issues.

In my spare time, I am involved in music as a singer and violinist, enjoy working with my dogs and study of languages, particularly Yiddish, which I enjoy reading and singing.