The ordination of Rabbi Sally J. Priesand in 1972 was a watershed moment in Jewish history. In The First Fifty Years, contributors from across the Jewish and gender
spectrums reflect on the meaning of this moment and the ensuing decades, both personally and for the Jewish community. In short pieces of new prose, authors—
many of them pioneering rabbis—share stories, insights, analysis, and celebrations of women in the rabbinate. These are intertwined with a wealth of poetry that
poignantly captures the spirit of this anniversary. The volume is a deep, heartfelt tribute to women rabbis and their indelible impact on all of us.

Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell was the founding director of the Los Angeles Jewish Feminist Center and the first rabbinic director of Ma’yan: The Jewish Women’s Project. She is
the editor of Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation, The Open Door: A Passover Haggadah (CCAR Press), and Chapters of the Heart: Jewish Women Sharing the Torah of Our Lives.

Jessica Greenbaum is a poet, teacher, and social worker. She is the author of three collections of poetry, most recently Spilled and Gone, and the coeditor of Mishkan
HaSeder: A Passover Haggadah (CCAR Press), along with Rabbi Hara E. Person.

Rabbi Hara E. Person is chief executive of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. She was managing editor of the The Torah: A Women’s Commentary and
executive editor of Mishkan HaNefesh: Machzor for the Days of Awe (CCAR Press).