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Regina Jonas Remembered

Photo by Gail Reimer
In the footsteps of Regina Jonas

The first woman rabbi, ordained in Germany in 1935, Regina Jonas served the Jewish community of Berlin and continued to help guide the Jewish community until her death in Auschwitz in 1944. Her story was lost for decades until 2014, when a group of pioneering women rabbis traveled to Germany with JWA and the American Jewish Archives to discover and honor her legacy.

Regina Jonas Kiosk, Berlin, Germany, Cropped

Short Film: In the Footsteps of Regina Jonas

Who was the first woman rabbi and why don’t we know about her? Watch the documentary short film about the journey of women rabbis to discover their foremother, 70 years after her death.

Regina Jonas by Marlis Glaser, 2014

Program Resources

To learn from Rabbi Regina Jonas and to honor her memory, use these ready-to-go program resources in your community.
Regina Jonas Plaque

Reflections on and Coverage of the Trip

Regina Jonas was the first woman ordained as a rabbi, but after her death in Auschwitz, Jonas was forgotten. To mark the 70th anniversary of her death, a group of pioneering American Jewish women rabbis and scholars traveled to Europe to learn about and commemorate her. Read some of their reflections and coverage of their remarkable journey from around the web.

Learn more about Regina Jonas and read excerpts from her writings.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Regina Jonas Remembered." (Viewed on December 25, 2024) <https://jwa.org/rabbis/regina-jonas-remembered>.