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Community Corner

Rabbi Marla Hornsten is Proud to be Temple's Pioneer

In celebration of Women's History Month, Patch interviewed Rabbi Marla Hornsten about her experience as the first female rabbi at Temple Israel.

Nearly 11 years ago, Rabbi Marla Hornsten became the first woman to serve as a rabbi at .

Since then, the temple’s members have embraced the 41-year-old West Bloomfield Township resident, and more women have found themselves in the leadership role within temple. There had already been women clergy and a cantor there, Hornsten said — but not a rabbi.

Hornsten said she never thought she would be the first "anything" and that it felt good to be a pioneer. She also said she didn’t believe the temple had ever been opposed to hiring a woman.

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“I’m actually really proud of the fact that I’m the first woman rabbi — it’s a milestone moment,” Hornsten said. “I bring something different to the table and am able to reach out to the congregants in a different way by the very nature of who I am.”

Historically, women have generally not served as rabbis until the modern era. Today, all sects of Judaism can and do allow female rabbis, with the exception of Orthodox Judaism.

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Hornsten does take an interest in women’s rights and issues and was recently asked to serve on the Jewish Women International’s Clergy Task Force on Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community. She also serves on the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse and the Oakland County Coordinating Council Against Domestic Violence. She thinks it is important to educate women about their options.

Hornsten, widely known as Rabbi Marla, tries to give voice to women in the Torah in the context of her services at Temple Israel. “I was able to just bring a totally different perspective here,” she said. “I teach a lot about women’s issues, women’s experiences and finding and reclaiming women’s voices in the Torah.”

To the temple staff and to the congregation, Hornsten is known as a compassionate leader with an eye on the future. One of the things she is proud of is using the mikveh, a bath used for ritualistic purification in a modern way and creating rituals to help congregants cope with traumatic moments as part of her healing services.

“It’s a way to bring ritual and tradition into modern life, which is a lot of what I do,” Hornsten said.

Kari Provizer, director of the Family Life Center at Temple Israel, said Hornsten is filled with empathy and always knows the right thing to say.

“We were thrilled she joined the clergy," Provizer said. "It really changed everything, I think, for our members.

“There are so many reasons why you would turn to a female clergy person, and she just brings a warmth that you can’t find elsewhere," Provizer said.

Hornsten now serves Temple Israel part time, has been happily married to Sheldon Stern for more than eight years and is trying to make extra time for caring for their sons, Danny, 5, and Benji, 7. She also has two stepdaughters, Jessica, 19, and Erica, 20.

Although she is a part-time employee of the temple, Hornsten is on the scene often and noted that she has a hand in almost everything, including healing services, junior youth group, hospital visits, teaching cooking classes and overseeing the seventh-grade program. She also brings women together for a Rosh Chodesh spiritual session once a month.

“I just know that being a rabbi was the right decision," Hornsten said. "It fulfills everything that I ever wanted to do, and it’s all within a Jewish context, which I love so much and love to be able to share with other people.”

Elaine Greenberg, 75, of Farmington Hills attends the spiritual group as often as she can and is very fond of Hornsten.

“I enjoy it very much, she always brings something interesting to talk about,” Greenberg said. “It’s what I like to do spiritually, and she does a great job at it.”

Greenberg has known Hornsten since she was hired at Temple Israel and has viewed her as an open, caring and accessible person. Greenberg said she has never hesitated to turn to Hornsten when she has had a problem in her personal life.

Hornsten, who grew up in Seattle and attended the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles and New York, is grateful that the community has been so open with her and that West Bloomfield immediately felt like home.

“She’s very lovely inside and out,” Greenberg said. “She is just a very special woman, and I’m glad that we were lucky enough to have her at the temple.”

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