Sandra Lawson

{{Infobox person

| image = Rabbi Sandra Lawson.jpg

| caption = Lawson in 2018

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1970}}

| education = {{Plainlist|

Saint Leo University, BA
Clark Atlanta University, MA
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, (Semikhah)

}}

| occupation = Rabbi

| website = {{URL|rabbisandralawson.com}}

}}

Sandra Lawson (born 1970){{Cite web|title=My Story: My Jewish Path And Rabbinic Path|url=https://www.rabbisandralawson.com/whoiam|access-date=2020-06-21|website=Rabbi Sandra Lawson|language=en-US}} is an American rabbi and the first director of Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism.{{Cite web|title=Reconstructing Judaism Names Rabbi Sandra Lawson Inaugural Director of Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion|url=https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/news/rabbi-sandra-lawson-named-inaugural-director-racial-diversity-equity-and-inclusion|access-date=2021-12-06|website=Reconstructing Judaism|date=20 January 2021 |language=en}} She previously served as Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Elon University. Lawson became the first openly gay, female, and black rabbi in the world in 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Article/163441|title=Rabbi Sandra Lawson named associate chaplain for Jewish life, Jewish educator at Hillel|website=Today at Elon|date=20 June 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-05-12}}{{cite web|url=http://projects.elonnewsnetwork.com/elonrabbi/|title=Elon Rabbi redefines religion|website=Elon News Network|access-date=2019-05-12}} She is a veteran, vegan, sociologist, personal trainer, food activist, weightlifter, author and musician.{{cite web|url=https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2018/10/12/a-personal-trainer-vegan-and-sociologist-walk-into-a-synagogue-oh-wait-thats-just-sandra-lawson/|title=A Personal Trainer, Vegan and Sociologist Walk into a Synagogue — Oh Wait, that's just Sandra Lawson|last=Prihar|first=Asha|website=Yale Daily News|date=12 October 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-05-12}}

Biography

Lawson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in a military, non-practicing Christian family.{{cite web|url=https://whyy.org/articles/rabbi-is-latest-of-many-titles-for-philly-woman/|title=Rabbi is latest of many titles for Philly woman|website=WHYY|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-12}} Lawson graduated magna cum laude from Saint Leo University in Florida with a degree in sociology. She also holds a master's degree in sociology from Clark Atlanta University in Georgia.

As a college student, Lawson came out as a lesbian and enlisted in the U.S. Army. In the army she served in military law enforcement, working on child abuse and domestic violence cases.

After graduating from college and leaving the military, she opened a personal training business. Through her client, the Reconstructionist Rabbi Joshua Lesser, she came to discover Judaism and fell in love with Lesser's synagogue, Congregation Beth Haverim. She ultimately converted to Judaism in 2004.{{Cite web|date=2016-06-19|title=Sandra Lawson, black lesbian vegan rabbinical student, hopes to redefine where Judaism happens|url=https://www.jta.org/2016/06/19/united-states/sandra-lawson-black-lesbian-vegan-rabbinical-student-hopes-to-redefine-where-judaism-happens|access-date=2020-06-19|website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|language=en-US}}

Lawson went on to serve as an investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation League and later began rabbinical school at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.{{cite web|url=http://jewishexponent.com/2018/06/20/rabbi-meets-jews-where-they-are-today/|title=Rabbi Meets Jews Where They Are Today|last=Stern|first=Marissa|date=2018-06-20|website=Jewish Exponent|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-12}} She chose this path after attending an LGBT memorial for Coretta Scott King where she represented the Jewish community. She was the first African-American, and the first openly gay African-American accepted into the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, which occurred in 2011. She was ordained as a rabbi in 2018 and was hired by Elon University that year. She served as Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Elon until she began a new position as the first Director of Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism in 2021.{{Cite web|date=2021-02-17|title=Rabbi Sandra Lawson departs Elon leaving behind a legacy of learning and love|url=https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2021/02/17/rabbi-sandra-lawson-leaves-a-legacy-of-learning-and-love/|access-date=2022-02-22|website=Today at Elon|language=en}}File:Rabbi Sandra Lawson, guitar and tallit.jpgLawson has been noted for her efforts to teach Judaism in unique locations. As a rabbinical student, Lawson ran a Friday night service at Arnold's Way, a vegan cafe and health store near Philadelphia.{{cite web|url=https://www.jta.org/2016/06/19/united-states/sandra-lawson-black-lesbian-vegan-rabbinical-student-hopes-to-redefine-where-judaism-happens|title=Sandra Lawson, black lesbian vegan rabbinical student, hopes to redefine where Judaism happens|date=2016-06-19|website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-12}}{{cite web|url=https://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160612_Breaking_with_tradition__rabbinical_student_does_Shabbat_service_Arnold_s_Way.html|title=Breaking with tradition, rabbinical student does Shabbat service Arnold's Way|last=Holmes|first=Kristin E.|website=philly.com|date=12 June 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-12}} She also has been noted for her efforts to teach by using social media and live video feeds. Lawson has been described as "Snapchat's Top Rabbi"{{cite web|url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/jewish-and/snapchats-top-rabbi/|title=Snapchat's Top Rabbi|date=2016-08-11|website=My Jewish Learning|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-12}} and the Best TikTok Rabbi.{{Cite web|last=heyalmacom|title=The Best Jewish Internet of 5780|url=https://www.heyalma.com/the-almas/the-best-jewish-internet-of-5780/|access-date=2022-01-28|website=Alma|language=en-US}}

In 2019, the JTA included Lawson on their list of "The 50 Jews everyone should follow on Twitter"{{Cite web|date=2019-01-03|title=The 50 Jews everyone should follow on Twitter|url=https://www.jta.org/2019/01/03/culture/50-jews-to-follow-on-twitter|access-date=2022-01-27|website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|language=en-US}} and in 2020, Lawson was named one of "The Forward 50 in 2020: The people we (mostly) needed in the year we (definitely) didn't".{{Cite web|last1=RudorenDecember 31|first1=Jodi|last2=I|first2=2020By Angelie Zaslavsky/Getty|title=The Forward 50: Remarkable American Jews in a remarkable year|url=https://forward.com/news/460848/forward-50-2020-the-people-we-mostly-needed-in-the-year-we-definitely/|access-date=2022-01-27|website=The Forward|date=31 December 2020 |language=en-US}} The Center for American Progress (CAP) named Lawson one of 22 Faith Leaders to watch in 2022.{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2022 |title=22 Faith Leaders To Watch in 2022 |url=https://www.americanprogress.org/article/22-faith-leaders-to-watch-in-2022 |website=Center for Amerincan Progress}}

Geoffrey Claussen describes Lawson as contributing to musar literature, citing her writing about curiosity.{{Cite book |last=Claussen |first=Geoffrey D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4H5dEAAAQBAJ |title=Modern Musar: Contested Virtues in Jewish Thought |date=2022 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0-8276-1888-6 |language=en}}

Lawson has stated "I support the State of Israel, but I'm not invested in the political atmosphere of the State of Israel...I'm more concerned about the current struggles in our country. I don't even write about Israel." She has talked about receiving antisemitic harassment online from "people claiming to be pro-Palestinian".{{cite web|url=https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2021/09/02/queer-black-rabbi-plays-tunes/ |title=This Queer Black Rabbi Plays by Her Own Tunes |date=2 September 2021 |publisher=Hadassah Magazine |accessdate=2023-04-01}} In 2020, she participated in a program hosted by the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America titled "Zionist Women of Color", a panel of Jewish women of color discussing their challenges.{{cite web|url=https://jewishmiami.org/communitypost/happening/45593/jbs_highlights_starting_1018_alan_dershowitz_on_politics_jonathan_sacks_on_morality_earth_crisis_jewish_women_of_color_visit_talmudic_village |title=JBS Highlights starting 10/18: Alan Dershowitz on Politics, Jonathan Sacks on Morality, Earth Crisis, Jewish Women of Color, Visit Talmudic Village |publisher=Greater Miami Jewish Federation |accessdate=2023-04-01}}

References

External links

{{Official website|https://www.rabbisandralawson.com}}
[https://www.elon.edu/u/directory/profile/?user=slawson7 Elon University Profile]
[https://www.youtube.com/c/RabbiSandraLawson Rabbi Sandra Lawson on Youtube]

Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:African-American female military personnel

Category:African-American rabbis

Category:21st-century African-American clergy

Category:African-American women writers

Category:American LGBTQ military personnel

Category:American Reconstructionist rabbis

Category:American women in business

Category:Clark Atlanta University alumni

Category:Converts to Judaism

Category:Elon University faculty