Elyse Goldstein

Elyse Goldstein is a Canadian Reform rabbi. She is the first woman to be elected as president of the interdenominational Toronto Board of Rabbis and president of the Reform Rabbis of Greater Toronto.

Early life and education Goldstein was born in 1955 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Career Her first rabbinic positions were as assistant rabbi at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto between 1983 and 1986. but in fact, Joan Friedman was appointed as an assistant rabbi at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto in 1980.

In 1985, Goldstein married Baruch Browns (changed to Browns-Sienna) (born 1956), a Jewish educator and graphic designer, and they have three children: Noam Ezra (born 1989), Yonah (born 1991), and Micah Benjamin (born 1994). ReVisions: Seeing Torah through a Feminist Lens (1998) The Women’s Torah Commentary (2000) The Women’s Haftarah Commentary (2003) New Jewish Feminism: Probing the Past, Forging the Future (2004)

For several years she wrote a monthly column for the Canadian Jewish News. Her articles have appeared in The Journal of Canadian Women's Studies, The Journal of Reform Judaism and other periodicals.

She is one of seven women featured in the Francine Zuckerman documentary Half the Kingdom.

In addition to her book publications she is also the author of several journal articles and newspaper articles, including:

Jewish Feminism and "New" Jewish Rituals (1996) Judaism's View of Women (Winter 1983) The Women Were Right (2011) Removing the Veils (2011) with Noam Sienna

Awards In 1996, the YWCA of Metropolitan Toronto presented her with the Woman of Distinction Award for excellence in the field of education. Her book ReVisions: Seeing Torah Through a Feminist Lens won the Canadian Jewish Book Award in the field of Bible 1998. She was named ORT "Woman of the Year" in 2001. Elyse Goldstein received the 2004 UJA Rabbinic Achievement Award. She is the 2005 recipient of the most prestigious award in Jewish education, the internationally recognized Covenant Award for Exceptional Jewish Educators. In May 2008 she received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Hebrew Union College.