Miriam Gonczarska

Miriam Gonczarska (born 24 November 1972) is a Jewish spiritual leader who in 2015 received her Semikhah as the first European, and in the same time the first Polish, maharat.

Maharat
Miriam Gonczarska
Miriam Gonczarska
Personal
Born (1972-11-24) 24 November 1972
Warsaw, Poland
ReligionJudaism
NationalityPolish
DenominationProgressive Judaism
Alma materUniversity of Warsaw, Yeshivat Maharat
ProfessionMaharat, journalist
Jewish leader
ProfessionMaharat, journalist
Positiongraduate (2015)
YeshivaYeshivat Maharat
OrganisationJewish Community of Warsaw

Early life and education

Gonczarska was born in Warsaw, Poland to the Polish-Jewish family. She is a daughter of Edmund Gonczarski (Mendel Garncarski; 1922–1979), poet and journalist and a Polish mother.[1]

In 1994 she graduated of LXI Secondary School in Warsaw. Soon after she converted to Judaism. From the beginning of 1990s she has been involved in revival of the Jewish community in Poland:[2] she co-created "Jidele"[3] (magazine for Jewish children), cooperated with "Midrasz" (Jewish cultural monthly magazine), and served as coordinator of educational programs at the Union of Jewish Religious Communities. She also worked as editor of "Kol Polin" – Hebrew language section of Radio Poland ( Polish Radio section for abroad). Her texts has been published also in press like "Więź"[4][5] (Catholic monthly), "Gazeta Wyborcza", and "Przegląd Powszechny".[6] She has also served as Jewish law and religion expert for the polish television ("Babilon" program for TVN24, "Piąta strona nieba"[7] in Religia.tv, and press ("Wprost"[8] weekly). She worked also worked with Jewish cultural and religious portal Jewish.org.pl.[9]

She is a member, and also serves as Secretary, of the Religious Council of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities of Poland, member of the board of the polish Association of Jewish Women.[10] She also is a member of B'nai B'rith Polska and Jewish Historical Institute Association. Until 2014 she has also served as member of the Revision Board of the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw. She has also helped creating "Ec Chaim" – reform community by the Religious Jewish Community.[11][12]

Miraim Gonczarska studied religious thought, and law and Torah in Israel (Nishmat, MaTan, and Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies) and in United States (Yeshiva Maharat). Gonczarska has a maharat (woman spiritual leader) degree[13] received after graduation of 5-year study program of Yeshiva Maharat.[14] She is the first European and Polish Jewish women to gain such degree and maharat title.[15][16][17][18]

Inter-religious dialogue

Already as a student-member of PUSZ (Polish Union of Jewish Students), Gonczarska often participated in Christian-Jewish events like seminars or study tours organized by PUSZ together with KIK (Club of Catholic Intelligentsia). Her further involvement in Jewish community and studies of Jewish thought,[19][20] went along her continuous commitment to dialogue between religions, especially with Christianity.[21] She served as member of the board of the Polish Council of Christians and Jews.

See also

References
  1. "Wirtualny Cmentarz". cemetery.jewish.org.pl. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  2. "My schedule for Limmud NY 2014". limmudny2014.sched.org. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  3. Gitelman, Zvi Y. (2003). New Jewish Identities: Contemporary Europe and Beyond. Central European University Press. p. 259. ISBN 9639241628.
  4. Kiedio, Prekursor. "Ku niebu i ku ziemi, Miriam Gonczarska | Marzec 2009 | WIĘŹ". Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  5. M. Gonczarska "Tora zeswatana z nowoczesnością" (en: "Torah and modernity"), in: "Więź", Issue no.2 (652)/2013 p. 102-109; publisher: Towarzystwo Więź, Warsaw 2013
  6. "Polska Żydówka". 27 June 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  7. Piąta Strona Nieba – odc. 4 – cz.3, 20 October 2010, retrieved 18 June 2015
  8. "Odkopane korzenie". 6 January 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  9. "Szukaj". www.jewish.org.pl. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  10. "Maria Gonczarska, powiązany z POLSKA RADA CHRZEŚCIJAN I ŻYDÓW, STOWARZYSZENIE KOBIET ŻYDOWSKICH W POLSCE". www.monitorfirm.pl. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  11. "Świętują nowy rok kilka razy". Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  12. Ginsberg, Johanna (24 February 2012). "'We want to place these women in synagogues'". New Jersey Jewish News. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  13. "New cohort of clergy tests readiness for progressive women rabbis". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  14. "Miriam Gonczarska". Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  15. "Spotkanie z Miriam Gonczarską". 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. "What to call an Orthodox female clergyperson?". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  17. "Miriam Gonczarska with a diploma - Virtual Shtetl". www.sztetl.org.pl. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  18. "Religie: O kapłaństwie kobiet | RDC". rdc.pl. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  19. "SPECIAL REPORT: Rebirth of Jewish life in Poland – Jewish News". Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  20. "Polka, która ukończyła szkołę rabinów. 'Mama mnie ochrzciła, dla mojego bezpieczeństwa'". gazetapl (in Polish). Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  21. KAI, Katolicka. "XIII Dzień Judaizmu – ekai.pl". ekai.pl. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
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