Newton Woman Becomes First Female Senior Rabbi of Boston Temple

NEWTON, MA – A Newton woman made history at a Boston temple over the weekend, becoming the first female senior rabbi in the congregation's 160-year history.

Rabbi Elaine Zecher was formally installed as Temple Israel's senior rabbi on Friday after 26 years with the temple. When she joined in 1990, she was the first female rabbi at the temple.

She is the 11th senior rabbi in Temple Israel's history, succeeding Ronne Friedman. Zecher also serves on Mayor Marty Walsh's Interfaith Advisory Task Force and has cultivated close relationships with various religious leaders throughout the Boston area.

Among those on hand at Friday's ceremony were Reverend Liz Walker, Roxbury Presbyterian Church; Massachusetts Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz; Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Mayor Walsh's Chief Information Officer; Yehuda Yaakov, Consul General of Israel to New England; Reverend Dan Smith, Vice President, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization.

Photo 1: Rabbi Elaine Zecher

Photo 2: Former senior rabbis Bernard Mehlman and Ronne Friedman pass the Torah to Zecher

Photos submitted by Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications