Rabbi Marla J. Feldman

Marla Feldman
Executive Director Emerita
Women of Reform Judaism
http://wrj.org

Rabbi Marla J. Feldman was the Executive Director of WRJ from 2012 tp June of 2023, having previously served as the Director of Development for the URJ and Director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. Feldman is a Reform rabbi (HUC-JIR, New York) and lawyer (JD, Univ. of Fla). Previously, Rabbi Feldman worked in the Jewish community relations field in Detroit and Delaware and served Reform congregations in Sarasota and Orlando, Florida. Feldman has authored Reform Movement action manuals and published modern midrash, and her articles have appeared in numerous publications and newspapers. She is the author of “Biblical Women Speak: Hearing Their Voices through New and Ancient Midrash” (JPS, 2023).

Rabbi Marla J. Feldman waving

A Farewell Message from Marla

Rabbi Marla J. Feldman
As you can imagine, these final days as the WRJ Executive Director are bittersweet as I prepare to embark on the next stage of my professional journey. While I am looking forward to the opportunities and new adventures ahead of me, I am looking back with heartfelt gratitude for the many gifts I have received from WRJ over the years.
Marla Feldman headshot 4web
Abortion Access

The Facts About Abortion

Rabbi Marla J. Feldman
FACT: Life begins at birth. FACT: Until birth, the fetus is part of the mother. FACT: The life and well-being of the mother will always take precedence over the fetus until the point at which the fetus's head fully emerges from the womb, and it becomes a living baby. These are the facts as I believe them to be, based on my faith, tradition, and understanding of Jewish law. While I understand that some people may hold different religious views, they are not binding on me. Until now.
Marla Feldman headshot 4web
Hanukkah

Navigating the December Dilemma

Rabbi Marla J. Feldman
One December day, many years ago, I was approached by a member of my congregation who was extremely agitated and needed to speak with me immediately. “We need to boycott Starbucks!” he asserted. After some gentle probing as to the source of his anger, he explained that when he picked up his daily cup of joe, it was handed to him in their red-with-stars cups for the Christmas season.
The author (on the left) with other Women of Reform Judaism members in Israel

WRJ: Today & Tomorrow: The Power of Sisterhood

Rabbi Marla J. Feldman
 
My WRJ story did not begin when I became the WRJ Executive Director in 2012. Nor did it start when I was a rabbinical intern for WRJ in 1984, having the privilege of working with then-director Ellie Schwartz and president Connie Kreshtool.