March 24, 2026
Building Equity and Ethical Leadership in Jewish Institutions
As part of Elluminate’s Elluminating Conversations series, we spoke with Rabbi Mary Zamore, Executive Director of the Women’s Rabbinic Network and a member of The Collective, about the evolving landscape for women in the rabbinate.
More than 50 years after the ordination of the first woman rabbi in the United States, women have entered the field in growing numbers. Yet significant gaps remain — including disparities in compensation, barriers to advancement, and workplace cultures that do not always ensure safety, dignity, and respect.
Through her leadership, Rabbi Zamore has helped bring greater visibility and accountability to these challenges. Working with hundreds of rabbis and institutions across North America, she has advanced pay equity efforts, developed resources to address harassment and workplace culture, and strengthened professional networks that support women rabbis in their leadership.
In this conversation, she shares insights from this work, including:
- How compensation inequities for women rabbis continue to persist — and what it will take to address them
- Why workplace culture and safety remain critical issues for women in the rabbinate
- How stronger professional networks can support women’s leadership, retention, and advancement
- What ethical leadership looks like in practice, grounded in Jewish values of dignity, justice, and responsibility
This work is not only about fairness for individual leaders. It is essential to the strength, integrity, and future of Jewish communal life. When women leaders are fully supported and able to lead without barriers, communities are stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to meet the challenges of this moment.
We invite you to watch the conversation to learn more about how this work is shaping the future of Jewish leadership.
With appreciation,
Melanie Roth Gorelick
Elluminate CEO