Miri Gold

Background

She was born in Detroit, but in 1977 she immigrated to Kibbutz Gezer along with other North Americans.

Career

Gold entered the Reform movement"s Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in 1994, and was ordained in 1999. At the time she was paid by the congregation, since the Israeli government did not recognize non-Orthodox rabbis. Gold petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court in 2005 to change this, and in 2012 a ruling by the Israeli attorney general granted her request.

Achievements

• When the founder of the kibbutz"s congregation (Kehilat Birkat Shalom) left, Gold began leading High Holidays services and preparing children for bat mitzvahs and bar mitzvahs.