Sandra Lawson

Sandra Lawson (b. 1970)[1] is a rabbi who serves as Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Elon University. She became the first openly gay, female, black rabbi in the world in 2018.[2][3] She is a veteran, vegan, sociologist, personal trainer, food activist, weightlifter, writer and musician.[4]

Lawson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in a military, non-practicing Christian family.[2] [5] 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.[2]

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.[5]

After graduating from college and leaving the military, she opened a personal training business. Through her client Rabbi Joshua Lesser, she came to discover Judaism and fell in love with Lesser's synagogue. She ultimately converted to Judaism in 2004.[5][6]

Lawson went on to serve as an investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation League and later began rabbinical school at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.[7] She chose this path after attending an LGBT memorial for Coretta Scott King where she represented the Jewish community.[6] She was the first African-American, and the first openly gay African-American accepted into the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, which occurred in 2011.[5] She was ordained as a rabbi in 2018 and was hired by Elon University that year.[2]

Lawson 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.[7][8][9] She also has been noted for her efforts to teach by using social media and live video feeds.[8] Lawson has been described as "Snapchat’s Top Rabbi."[10]

References
  1. "My Story: My Jewish Path And Rabbinic Path". Rabbi Sandra Lawson. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  2. "Rabbi Sandra Lawson named associate chaplain for Jewish life, Jewish educator at Hillel". E-Net! Elon University News & Information. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  3. "Elon Rabbi redefines religion". projects.elonnewsnetwork.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  4. Prihar, Asha. "A Personal Trainer, Vegan and Sociologist Walk into a Synagogue — Oh Wait, that's just Sandra Lawson". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  5. "Rabbi is latest of many titles for Philly woman". WHYY. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  6. "Sandra Lawson, black lesbian vegan rabbinical student, hopes to redefine where Judaism happens". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2016-06-19. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  7. Stern, Marissa (2018-06-20). "Rabbi Meets Jews Where They Are Today". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  8. "Sandra Lawson, black lesbian vegan rabbinical student, hopes to redefine where Judaism happens". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2016-06-19. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  9. Holmes, Kristin E. "Breaking with tradition, rabbinical student does Shabbat service Arnold's Way". philly.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  10. "Snapchat's Top Rabbi". My Jewish Learning. 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
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