Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum has dedicated her life to promoting social justice, LGBTQ+ and human rights, and progressive values within Judaism. She served for 32 years as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City, the largest LGBTQ+ synagogue in the world — for people of all sexual identities and genders — where she is now Senior Rabbi Emerita. She serves as Director of The Beacon, a project of Union Theological Seminary. The BBC named her one of its 100 Women of 2024, and Newsweek named her one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America. President Biden appointed Rabbi Kleinbaum a Commissioner to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
An Urgent Call to Action: Thursdays at 7, Shine the Light
Everyday people can stop authoritarians and fascists, Rabbi Kleinbaum writes. Experts in the subject say we need to do these three things now. Good news? You can do them no matter where you live.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Rabbi Kleinbaum’s Protest Plan
The Beacon is a multifaith effort to rouse protests of the current administration’s flurry of actions, writes Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Plus, the power of visible resistance and organized compassion.
Out of the Aron Hakodesh/Holy Closet: A Lifetime of Lessons
Before pride flags in sanctuaries, there was Ameinu, a secret network for LGBTQ+ rabbis making change. Rabbi Kleinbaum shares the raw, beautiful truth behind the movement. From CCAR Winter 2025.
Rabbi Kleinbaum Named One of BBC’s 100 Women of 2024
The list includes inspiring and influential women from around the world, among them astronauts, Olympians, actors and singers, Nobel laureates, climate campaigners, writers, and many more.
A Queer Prayer for Nonviolence in Israel/Palestine
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, a lesbian rabbi, and Sa’ed Atshan, a gay professor raised in Ramallah, pray for an end to the bloodshed and the affirmation of the dignity and sanctity of all lives.
Celebrating 32 Years of Rabbi Kleinbaum’s Leadership at CBST
A celebration in music and tributes at Jazz at Lincoln Center on June 3, 2024, with remarks from President Joseph R. Biden, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Senator Chuck Schumer, and more.
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum 