Tamara Cohn Eskenazi is The Effie Wise Ochs Professor of Biblical Literature and History at the Reform Jewish seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles.[1]
She was the first woman hired by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion as a full-time tenure track faculty member for their rabbinical school in 1990, and became the first female tenured full professor in their rabbinical school in 1995.[2]
She was also the chief editor of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary (Andrea Weiss was associate editor), which won the 2008 Jewish Book of the Year Award from the Jewish Book Council.[3][4]
On May 19, 2013, Eskenazi was ordained as a rabbi by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.[5]
In November of 2022, Eskenazi was elected vice president[6] of the Society of Biblical Literature; in November 2023, Eskenazi was elevated to president of the society.
Recognition
editIn 2011, Eskenazi and the late Tikva Frymer-Kensky won the 2011 National Jewish Book Award in Women’s Studies for The JPS Bible Commentary: Ruth.[7][8]
The 2022 art exhibit “Holy Sparks”, shown among other places at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, featured art about twenty-four female rabbis who were firsts in some way;[9][10] Carol Hamoy created the artwork about Eskenazi that was in that exhibit.[11]
Selected works
edit- In an age of prose : a literary approach to Ezra-Nehemiah, 1986
- Second Temple studies. Temple and community in the Persian period , 1991
- The Torah : a women's commentary , 2008
- Ruth : the traditional Hebrew text with the new JPS translation , 2011
References
edit- ^ "Rabbi Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, Ph.D., Appointed The Effie Wise Ochs Professor of Biblical Literature and History - Hebrew Union College | Jewish Institute of Religion". Huc.edu. 2015-07-06. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
- ^ "Google Drive Viewer". Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ "The Jewish Publication Society: Authors + Speakers: Dr. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi". Jewishpub.org. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ "Past Winners". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ "HUC-JIR: Press Room - HUC-JIR Announces 2013 Graduation and Ordination Ceremonies in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and New York". Huc.edu. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ "Society of Biblical Literature". www.sbl-site.org. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
- ^ "The Jewish Publication Society: Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Tikva Frymer-Kensky Awarded 2011 National Jewish Book Award for JPS Bible Commentary: Ruth". Jewishpub.org. 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ "Past Winners". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
- ^ Eckerling, Debra L. (March 31, 2022). ""Holy Sparks" Exhibition Celebrates 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate". Jewish Journal.
- ^ "Holy Sparks: Celebrating Fifty Years of Women in the Rabbinate". HUC.
- ^ "VIDEO: HOLY SPARKS – Celebrating 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate". Jewish Art Salon. January 30, 2022.