Martha Neumark

Martha Neumark (1904–1981 ) was a notable early figure in the history of women's ordination as rabbis. Neumark was widely reported to be the first Jewish woman to be accepted into a rabbinical school.

Biography

Martha Neumark was the daughter of a professor at Hebrew Union College of Reform Judaism. In 1921, Neumark became the first female student at Hebrew Union College to declare her desire to become a rabbi. That year she requested a High Holiday pulpit for the next year, just as her male classmates would receive. However, the debate on women's ordination she had sparked continued. In 1922 Neumark and her father attended the Central Conference of American Rabbis Conference, where she succeeded in convincing the CCAR to ordain women rabbis. The CCAR declared in a responsa in 1922, "...woman cannot justly be denied the privilege of ordination," having voted 56 to 11 in favor of that statement.

Some of her personal papers are now held in the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives at Hebrew Union College.

Following Neumark, instances of American Jewish women who studied for rabbinical ordination but were denied formal ordination include Helen Levinthal. Levinthal was denied ordination after completing her studies in 1935.

Independent Jewish Press Service In the early 1940s, Neumark served as the executive editor of the Independent Jewish Press Service.

Personal life Martha Neumark married Henry Montor in 1924. The couple divorced in 1956. Neumark died in 1981 at the age of 77.

Neumark's parents were Rabbi Dr David Neumark (1866–1924), professor at Hebrew Union College and Mrs Dora Neumark (d. 1959). Her siblings were Salomea Brainin and Immanuel K. Neumark.